THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 

GIFT  OF 
Saul       Abramovitch 


A  DETAILED,  DESCRIPTIVE  ANALYSIS  OF 
HOW  TO  PRACTICE  THESE  STUDIES,  BASED 
UPON  THE  BEST  TEACHINGS  OF  REPRE- 
SENTATIVE, MODERN  VIOLIN  PLAYING 


BY 

EDITH    L.   WINN 


NEW   YORK 
CARL    FISCHER 

1913 


COPYRIGHT,  1910, 

BY 

CARL   FISCHER 


International  Copyright  Secured 


MUSIC 

LIBRARY 

AIT 


RESPECTFULLY  DEDICATED 

TO 


802218 


FIORILLO. 


FEDERIGO  FIORILLO  was  born  in 
1753,  at  Brunswick,  where  his  father, 
a  Neapolitan,  lived  as  conductor  of 
the  opera.  It  seems  that  at  first 
Fiorillo  was  a  player  of  the  mandolin, 
and  later  on  became  interested  in  the 
violin.  He  went  to  Poland  in  1780, 
and  in  1783  was  conductor  of  the  band 
at  Riga,  which  position  he  filled  for 
two  years.  In  1785  he  played  with 
great  success  at  the  Concerts  Spirituels  in  Paris,  and 
also  published  some  of  his  compositions,  which  were 
received  most  favorably.  Three  years  later  he  went  to 
London,  where  he  seems  to  have  met  with  little  success 
as  a  violinist,  since  he  only  played  the  violin  part  in 
Salomon's  quartet-party.  His  last  public  appearance 
in  London  was  in  1794,  when  he  performed  a  concerto 
on  the  viola.  There  is  very  little  known  about  the  rest 
of  his  life,  except  that  from  London  he  went  to  Amster- 
dam, and  was  in  Paris  in  1823. 

Among  his  numerous  compositions  are  duos  for  violins, 
for  piano  and  violin,  and  violin  and  violoncello;  trios  for 
flute,  violin,  and  tenor,  for  two  violins  and  bass;  quartets 
and  quintets  for  stringed  instruments;  concertos  for  the 
violin;  concertantes  for  two  violins,  etc.  These,  though 
somewhat  dry  and  old-fashioned,  were  favorably  received, 
and  show  him  to  have  been  an  earnest  musician. 

v 


VI  FIORILLO. 

However,  there  is  one  particular  work,  his  Thirty- 
six  Caprices,  or  Etudes,  which  is  known  and  valued  by 
every  violin  player,  and  which  for  a  long  time  will 
probably  remain  a  standard.  They  rank  with  the 
classical  studies  of  Kreutzer  and  Rode.  This  work  has 
been  edited  over  and  over  again,  —  most  recently  by 
Emil  Kross.  Spohr  wrote  a  second  violin  part,  but  he 
altered  the  original  text  to  such  an  extent  that  his  work 
is  hardly  authoritative,  though  decidedly  violinistic  and 
interesting. 


How  to  Study  Fiorillo. 


No.  1. 

MANY  teachers  of  note  cling  to  old  traditions.     The 
earliest  extant  editions  of  Fiorillo,  by  Ferdinand 
David  and  others,   have  no  expression  marks  for  the 
Largo  of  the   first  e"tude.     This  was  originally  played 

Largo  sostenuto. 
Whole  bow. 


forte,  counting  four  very  slowly.  The  tone  should  be 
full  and  even,  there  being  absolutely  no  variation.  This 
is  excellent  practice  for  those  who  are  inclined  to  play 
with  a  weak  tone  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  A  broad 
stroke  requires  a  fine  arm  and  excellent  bow  control. 
The  elbow  joint  should  be  very  well  relaxed.  Such 
passages  as  occur  in  the  fourth,  fifth,  and  sixth  measures 
should  be  played  with  some  tone-color  and  taste,  the 
eighth  note  being  cut  in  anticipation  of  the.  rest. 

To  cultivate  a  broad,  free  bowing  and  a  full  tone,  one 
should  practice  the  martele  at  the  point  of  the  bow, 
where  attacks  are  likely  to  be  weak.  Also  the  frequent 
practice  of  the  second  Kreutzer  etude  with  four  notes 


2  HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 

slurred  is  excellent,  the  bowing  being  at  the  point,  middle, 
and  heel.  Then  there  are  staccato  scales,  which  aid  the 
student  in  securing  a  fine  tone  and  freedom  of  style  in 
the  upper  half  of  the  bow:  i.  One  down  stroke  and  six 
notes  staccato  on  the  up  stroke;  2.  Two  down,  at  point, 
and  two  up  staccato;  3.  The  same  exercise,  using  trip- 
lets. Begin  with  the  "G"  scale  in  three  octaves.  The 
next  thing  to  govern  is  the  broad  continuous  tone.  This 
can  only  be  done  by  long  and  arduous  practice  of  slow 
scales.  A  Berlin  teacher  plays  one  note  for  two  minutes 
with  no  variation  in  force  or  intensity. 


THE   ALLEGRO. 

The  Hermann  edition  requires  that  this  part  of  the 
first  e*tude  be  played  staccato.  It  is  impossible  to  keep 
this  up  during  the  whole  exercise.  The  original  inten- 
tion of  Fiorillo  was  that  it  be  played  legato,  with  a  broad, 


Allegro. 


free  stroke.  The  triplets  are  played  in  the  same  manner 
in  the  upper  third,  or  toward  the  middle  of  the  bow. 
The  sixteenth  notes  must  fall  with  evenness  at  the  middle 
of  the  bow.  This  is  an  exceedingly  fine  study  for  securing 
a  flexible  wrist,  and  should  be  practiced  very  carefully. 
At  the  Hochschule,  in  Berlin,  few  of  the  teachers  stress 
Fiorillo,  preferring  the  Kreutzer  Etudes,  followed  by  the 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


Rode  Caprices.  Fiorillo  has  much  to  offer  that  Kreutzer  l 
does  not  stress  at  all;  therefore  the  Etudes  are  very  val- 
uable. 

No.  2. 

This  £tude  is  very  frequently  played  in  a  mild  manner, 
too  slow  for  the  original  intention  of  the  composer.  As 
the  allegro  of  the  first  e*tude  is  not  possible  at  the  proper 
tempo  with  the  staccato  bowing,  so  the  second  e*tude 
loses  its  character  if  not  played  in  a  martial  style.  Maes- 
toso means  military  or  majestic  in  character,  with  broad 
bowing  and  strong  accents.  The  first  two  notes  sweep 

Maestoso. 
Whole  bow. 


tr. 


V 

tr. 


the  whole  length  of  the  bow.  The  third  note  is  also  full 
bow,  but  very  short.  A  quick  stroke,  with  the  bow  pass- 
ing rapidly  over  the  string,  is  the  proper  one.  The  whole 
exercise  is  played  forte.  In  the  second  measure,  the 
bowing  is  short  and  crisp  at  the  point  of  the  bow,  the 
first  group  naturally  being  played  with  the  whole  bow. 
The  third  measure  is  legato,  broad  and  free.  Trills 
should  be  regular  and  of  exactly  the  right  length.  All 
passages  like  the  second  measure  are  usually  played  at 
the  point  of  the  bow.  After  the  first  bar,  some  position 
work  may  be  used  (second  measure).  Trills  with  the 
fourth  finger  are  very  difficult  for  some  players.  Practice 

1  For  detailed  and  thorough  study  of  the  Kreutzer  fitudes  see  How 
to  Prepare  for  Kreutzer  and  The  Study  of  the  Kreutzer  Etudes,  both  by 
Edith  L.  Winn.  Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 


4  HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

slow  trills  daily  with  the  third  and  fourth  fingers.  The 
first  finger  trill  should  be  practiced  very  slowly  and 
evenly,  great  care  being  shown  in  string  transfers  at 
the  close.  In  octave  work  two  fingers  must  fall  at 
once  with  force  and  precision.  The  whole  hand  moves. 
In  double  stops,  the  fingers  must  fall  simultaneously. 
Double  trills  are  not  much  more  difficult  than  single 
ones.  They  should  be  played  with  an  even  tone,  and  the 
fingers  should  fall  with  freedom.  If  the  fourth  finger  is 
weak,  try  some  exercises  from  the  Halir  Tonleiterstudien, 
repeating  the  exercises,  faster  and  faster. 

The  measure  immediately  preceding  the  long  con- 
tinuous trills  should  be  played  with  a  down  bow.  Prac- 
tice this  passage  without  the  continuous  trill  on  C,  at 
first  (use  a  long  smooth  note  and  lightly  dip  the  bow 
on  the  D  string,  as  if  playing  a  little  accompaniment). 
Let  the  trill  be  continuous  when  changing  from  up  to 
down  bow  and  vice  versa.  Every  note  should  be  cut 
shorter  if  before  a  rest.  This  must  be  observed  through 
the  whole  exercise.  All  chords  should  be  played  with 
a  broad  tone.  This  exercise,  so  often  neglected,  should 
be  played  long  and  faithfully,  for  it  is  the  basis  of  other 
work  which  follows  logically  in  study. 

When  playing  the  "  22d  Concerto"  of  Viotti,  I  always 
return  to  this  e"tude  of  Fiorillo  and  review  it  for  the  sake 
of  the  trills.  This,  with  a  favorite  e"tude  of  Kreutzer, 
aids  me  greatly  in  bringing  my  left  hand  under  control. 
The  octaves  are  played  near  the  point  of  the  bow. 


This  is  one  of  the  most  artistic  of  the  e*tudes,  especially 
useful  when  one  is  considering  such  a  work  as  the  "  226. 
Concerto"  of  Viotti.1  Another  useful  work  is  "Je  suis 

1  See  newly  revised  edition  by  Ovide  Musin.  Published  by  Carl 
Fischer,  New  York. 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


5 


le  petit  Tambour,"  by  David,1  a  composition  now  almost 
obsolete  in  a  violin  teacher's  repertoire.  Avoid  a  trivial 
style.  The  staccato  is  not  absolute.  The  tempo  and 
character  of  a  work  govern  that  matter.  The  second 
line  has  been  marked  in  different  ways  by  those  who 
have  revised  Fiorillo.  Note  the  Kross  bowings: 


I  prefer  separated  strokes  in  passages  like  that  of  the 
second  measure. 

In  double  trills  the  fingers  fall  together  with  elasticity 
rather  than  force.  Be  very  careful  to  define  the  exact 
interval  in  the  trill.  Do  not  disturb  the  tempo.  Syn- 
copation must  not  be  forced.  In  trills  in  the  half-position 
play  close  to  the  saddle  of  the  violin,  and  do  not  raise 
the  fingers  until  necessary.  Play  the  chord  of  the  new 
key  as  a  chord,  not  as  an  arpeggio.  The  bowing  is  as 
follows,  with  a  broader  stroke  than  the  staccato  mark 
would  indicate. 


Do  not  disturb  the  theme  by  forcing  the  accompani- 
ment or  by  pausing.     The  bow  lies  lightly  on  two  strings, 


1  See  newly  revised  edition  by  Gustav  Saenger. 
Fischer,  New  York. 


Published  by  Carl 


6 


HOW   TO    STUDY   FIORILLO. 


dips,  as  it  were,  upon  the  neighboring  string,  to  obtain 
the  legato.  Bow  control  in  this  case  is  of  great  impor- 
tance. Use  the  following  bowings.  The  parts  of  the  bow 
in  which  each  passage  should  be  played  are  indicated: 


EPE=£a=s= 


tr  . 


^_e_s|_U 


TTTt 


Play  the  last  line  with  authority,  the  chords  being 
slightly  in  the  arpeggio  style  with  a  stress  on  the  lower 
note,  the  tone  being  firm  to  the  end  of  the  bow. 


No.  3. 

This  £tude  is  played  in  two  ways:  first,  a  staccato  run, 
up  bow;  second,  the  mixed  staccato  and  legato  stroke, 
up  bow.  A  free  arm  is  desired.  While  the  short  staccato 
with  the  wrist  stroke  is  eminently  useful,  the  more  bril- 
liant staccato  with  the  arm  stroke  is  desired.  Naturally, 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  / 

the  wrist  and  forearm  are  free,  though  the  lateral  stroke 
of  the  wrist  is  not  desired.  Play  in  the  upper  third  or 
near  the  point  of  the  bow. 


-*-*-*-—  -  -i^-t— *--i5**T 


.   .  m  m  ~r         •.   _«^  a 


No.  4. 

This  e"tude  is  one  of  the  most  useful  in  the  book.  A 
free,  broad,  slightly  detached  stroke,  in  the  lower  half 
of  the  bow,  is  preferred  to  a  short  staccato. 

Moderate. 
w.  B. 

n       h.  B.  w.  B.  i         I  J 


Professor  Halir  would  teach  double-stops  and  scales 
in  thirds  in  a  free,  broad  style,  lower  half  of  the  bow 
(note  fingering  in  the  second  position) . 


8 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


The  whole  bow  may  also  be  used.  Play  the  scale 
runs,  second  line,  in  the  manner  outlined  in  Halir's 
Tonleiterstudien  (G.B.  or  U.H.  raise  the  bow  after  each 

group) . 


© 


He  assumes  that  short  position  movements  make  a 
more  perfect  scale  in  thirds  possible.  I  will  outline  the 
bowings  for  the  next  three  lines.  Keep  the  theme 
prominent.  Raise  the  bow  slightly  from  the  strings  in 
defining  phrasing. 


w.  B. 


i.h.  B.  v  4r 


—.     ' 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


The  double-stops  in  the  higher  positions  naturally  fall 
in  the  middle  of  the  bow.  Attack  the  chords  with  the 
up  bow  firmly,  and  play  three  notes  together.  A  free, 
rather  detached  bowing  in  the  middle  of  the  bow,  using 
the  artificial  spiccato,  occurs  at  the  close. 


Slightly  accent  the  slurred  group  of  two  notes;  raise  the 
bow  between  strokes.  Play  in  the  middle  third  of  the 
bow. 


i   t 


—^  P^  PR  525    rs 


i  ^  ^^  ^ 
^     — 


10  HOW   TO   STUDY  FIORILLO. 

It  is  not  always  advisable  to  take  these  Etudes  in  the 
order  in  which  they  occur.  The  same  rule  applies  to 
Kreutzer  and  Rode.  It  is  possible  that  the  student  may 
have  some  weak  point  which  requires  a  review  of  several 
Etudes  of  a  similar  nature.  For  instance,  I  recall  having 
been  made  to  play  the  second  Kreutzer  e"tude  1  many  times 
while  studying  other  works,  because  my  forearm  was  not 
free.  The  eighth  and  ninth  were  frequently  reviewed. 
Herr  Markees,  in  Berlin,  was  a  great  taskmaster,  and 
frequently  sent  us  back  to  the  twelfth  Kreutzer.  I  do 
not  recall  ever  having  studied  the  first  Kreutzer,  nor 
the  famous  arpeggio  e"tude.  Leopold  Lichtenberg,  and 
several  other  artists,  teach  both  of  these.  The  first  is 
very  useful  for  graduation  of  tone.  In  the  seventh  and 
eighth  Fiorillo  we  find  material  for  tone  graduation. 
Let  us  practice  the  crescendo  and  decrescendo  faithfully, 
using  examples  from  my  "Three  Octave  Scales." 

We  must  be  patient  with  this  work.  It  is  one  of  the 
most  difficult  things  in  the  world  to  produce  a  beautiful 
crescendo  and  diminuendo.  In  connection  with  this  let 
us  turn  to  the  Bach-Gounod  "  Ave  Maria,"  and  play  it  as 
written.  The  famous  Bach  "Aria"  is  another  example; 
also  the  Ha'ndel  "Largo."  A  question  has  often  been 
asked:  Does  the  bow  remain  parallel  with  the  bridge 
during  such  work,  or  at  a  stated  distance  from  the  bridge  ? 
Most  emphatically  not.  The  bow  is  nearer  the  bridge  in 
a  crescendo  passage,  and  right  over  the  finger-board  in  the 
diminuendo.  There  is  a  mistaken  notion  among  students 
that  when  one  plays  pianissimo  very  little  bow  must  be 
used.  Never  was  there  a  greater  fallacy.  The  softest 
tone  is  produced  by  gliding  the  bow  swiftly  over  the 
strings,  its  entire  length,  without  pressure  and  over  the 
finger-board,  not  near  the  bridge. 

It  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  in  the  world  to 
produce  a  soft,  resonant  tone.  It  is  easy  enough  to  play 
loud.  So  it  is  with  singing.  I  have  learned  more  about 
the  principles  of  tone  from  voice  teachers  than  from 
violinists.  While  playing  these  Etudes,  review  con- 

1  See  The  Study  of  the  Kreutzer  Etudes,  by  Edith  L.  Winn. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


II 


stantly.  Play  number  one  over  and  over.  Number 
two  with  the  Halir  thirds,  in  C,  must  be  practiced  daily. 
Halir  plays  double-stops,  using  the  second  position  in- 
stead of  the  third,  and  going  from  second  to  fourth  and 
sixth.  It  requires  less  shifting  and  is  very  playable. 
Always  play  the  double-stops  singly,  then  two  slurred, 
then  in  groups  of  four  notes,  and  finally  eight  notes.  After 
a  time  play  a  whole  scale  up  on  one  bow  (two  octaves 
C)  and  down  with  the  opposite  bow.  Very  few  amateurs 
can  play  the  three  octave  scales  thus.  I  prefer  the  C 
scale,  as  it  is  easier  for  the  hand.  Halir  says  that  a 
student  should  be  able  to  play  thus  (i)  or  thus  (2) : 


± 


No.  5. 


Allegretto. 


P     leggiero. 


Hie  II. 


m  ^ 


VJSJ-JS5 

1 1—* \-9 


In  connection  with  the  study  of  number  five,  let  us 
turn  to  Sevcik  's  School  of  Bowing.1  I  had  always  believed 
that  the  importance  of  bow-technic  had  been  overesti- 
mated, until  these  works  of  Sevcik  proved  beyond  a 
doubt  the  great  advantage  of  systematic  study  of  varied 

1  School  of  Bowing,  by  O.  Sevcik,  Op.  2  in  two  Books.  Systematic 
and  progressively  graded  technical  bowing  exercises.  Published  by  Carl 
Fischer,  New  York.  Price,  75  cents  each  book. 


12  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

bowings.  The  Sevcik  system  is  wonderful.  There  are 
exercises  for  every  possible  limitation  in  violin  study. 
The  great  question  in  bustling  American  life  is  how 
to  abridge  a  system  only  possible  in  a  land  where  vir- 
tuosos study  "from  the  cradle  to  the  grave."  Many 
wise  teachers  (for  Americans  are,  above  all,  practical) 
have  used  the  Sevcik  works  with  success,  and  yet  have 
not  surfeited  students  with  the  same. 

Let  us  consider  Op.  2,  Book  2,  Section  IV.  First  mas- 
ter the  progressions,  that  is,  learn  the  exercise  by  heart. 
Keep  the  fingers  of  the  left  hand  ready  for  use.  Practice 
all  exercises  with  slurred  and  single  bows  at  point,  middle, 
and  heel  of  the  bow.  I  usually  suggest  to  pupils  to  prac- 
tice exercise  thirty-two  faithfully  before  working  at  the 
fifth  Fiorillo,  with  three  notes  to  a  bow  just  below  the 
middle.  Afterwards  use  six  to  a  bow;  then  twelve. 
Practice  number  five  in  octaves  at  the  middle  (play  both 
notes  at  once).  After  that,  play  as  marked,  accenting 
the  first  of  every  group  of  two  notes.  One  can  go  on 
with  the  Sevcik  studies  indefinitely,  but  I  urge  pupils 
to  practice  these  special  ones  for  string-transfers  half  an 
hour  per  day,  at  least.  Always  cross  the  strings  lightly. 
In  octaves,  move  the  fingers  simultaneously,  with  no 
crescendo  or  forte. 

The  Hermann  edition  uses  the  crescendo,  forte,  and 
pianissimo  marks.  Play  at  first  with  uniform  tone 
instead,  accenting  slightly  the  first  note  of  a  group  of 
two.  Watch  the  syncopated  passages  in  the  third  and 
fourth  lines,  and  do  not  accent  too  strongly.  The  accent 
is  on  the  second  note  of  a  group  of  two.  The  legato 
passages  of  sixteenth  notes  are  with  a  whole  bow;  the 
crescendo  must  be  artistic.  There  must  not  be  a  break 
in  the  legato  for  the  sake  of  the  crescendo.  We  remember 
the  mastery  of  the  subtle  principles  of  tone  graduation 
in  Joachim's  playing.  The  special  accents  at  the  close 
of  each  legato  passage  (sixth  line)  are  difficult.  At  the 
close  of  the  eighth  line,  give  full  value  to  the  dotted 
quarter  note  and  play  it  forte.  The  next  groups  of  two 
notes  are  detached,  the  accent  being  on  the  second  one. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  13 

Make  the  trill  long  and  even.  Begin  the  sixteenth 
notes,  last  measure  of  the  tenth  line,  with  up  bow.  Play 
at  the  middle  of  the  bow.  Move  the  first  and  fourth 
fingers  together  in  octaves. 


Andante  sciolto. 

V  1.  h.  B.  tr 


No.  6. 


tr 


N^  x_*        ""^      LJ       «*J 


Andante  sciolto  means  about  the  same  as  Andante 
comntodo  (as  slowly  as  you  please).  At  the  middle,  or 
upper  half,  of  the  bow,  cut  the  notes  lightly  and  accent 
trills.  The  second  four  measures  require  grace  and  ease 
in  the  upper  half  of  the  bow.  Remember  to  discriminate 
between  the  short  staccato  at  the  point  of  the  bow  and 
the  broader  detached  stroke.  Be  very  careful  of  intona- 
tion at  this  point. 


tr 


14  HOW  TO  STUDY   FIORILLO. 

The  opening  measures  in  the  seventh  line  may  be 
played  with  a  raised  bow  stroke,  middle  of  the  bow. 
Play  near  the  point  of  the  bow  in  the  last  four  or  five 
measures  of  the  e"tude,  lightly  and  elegantly. 

Important  points  to  remember  in  this  e"tude  are: 
Passages  bowed  near  the  point  are  light,  as  a  rule;  pas- 
sages requiring  broader  bowing  are  played  forte.  Always 
raise  the  bow  slightly  for  an  attack.  Each  group  must 
be  well  denned,  with  accents  strong.  Pause  long  enough 
between  the  groups  to  gain  poise.  Always  draw  a  long 
bow  at  the  middle  with  sufficient  length  to  be  free  and  to 
secure  tone.  In  this  exercise,  as  in  many  others,  the  left 
hand  is  of  most  importance.  It  must  be  ready.  Do 
not  lose  time  by  the  trill.  Play  the  single  notes  freely. 
These  are  not  staccato.  Whenever  the  staccato  occurs 
in  the  Hermann  edition,  as  a  rule  one  must  play  in  a 
broader  style.  Those  old  composers  did  not  use  the 
staccato  much.  Witness  Fritz  Kreisler  playing  a  work 
of  the  period.  He  gives  it  more  tone-color  and  varied 
phrasing  than  in  its  period,  but  he  uses  very  little  short 
staccato  work.  Number  six  is  a  joyous,  light  work  of 
the  French  school.  It  must  be  technically  clean  cut, 
and  clear  as  crystal. 

No.  7. 

While  allegro  with  the  old  composers  was  not  like  our 
modern  allegro,  an  adagio  was  practically  the  same  as 
at  present.  Full  bowing  and  a  broad,  free  tone,  as  well 
as  great  dignity,  were  demanded.  I  do  not  believe  that 
the  early  violinists  played  with  as  great  warmth  of  tone 
and  freedom  as  is  now  secured  by  artists. 

The  old  masters  played  correctly  and  classically;  they 
used  the  crescendo  and  diminuendo,  and  were  masters 
of  tone  graduation,  but  they  did  not  give  the  emotional 
treatment  to  their  subjects  that  is  now  an  apparent 
necessity.  This  e"tude  begins  pianissimo,  but  one  must 
cultivate  a  "concert  hall"  tone,  and  make  a  crescendo 
in  the  first  two  measures;  the  same  in  the  next  group. 
Tone-color  is  a  prime  essential  in  this  e"tude.  Embel- 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


lishments  must  never  interfere  with  rhythm.  Note  the 
adagios  of  Mozart's  quartets.  The  old  writers  used 
embellishments  because  they  lacked  intensity  and  were 
not  skilled  in  the  use  of  the  vibrato.  Although  number 
seven  is  not  difficult,  it  must  be  technically  perfect.  At 
line  two  repeat  the  up  bow  on  the  second  note  of  the 
second  group.  Always  do  this  for  beauty  of  phrasing. 
Keep  broad  bowing  when  possible.  Note  in  the  sixth 
line  some  peculiar  rhythm.  Count  four  steadily,  using 
no  embellishments,  at  first. 


The  embellishments  of  the  seventh  line  must  not  inter- 
fere with  rhythm.  In  bow  length  one  must  not  be 
hampered  by  exact  rules.  Let  the  nature  of  the  passage 
decide  the  bowing.  One  must  not  keep  trilling  if  the 
phrasing  demands  a  pause.  The  opening  measures  of 
the  allegretto  are  played  at  the  middle  of  the  bow,  the 
staccato  note  being  lightly  played.  The  allegretto  comes 
in  jocund,  with  a  slight  pause  between  groups,  in  the 
upper  half  of  the  bow.  Try  to  maintain  a  forte  through- 
out. 

Largo.  No.  8. 


3    2 


!_:*•  G5E: 


16  HOW   TO    STUDY   FIORILLO. 

This  is  a  dignified  and  stately  e"tude  which  requires 
very  much  shading.  It  is  one  of  the  most  artistic  of  all, 
similar  in  character  to  the  first  part  of  number  one.  The 
teacher  may  count  eight  instead  of  four,  if  desirable,  as 
we  sometimes  do  in  the  andante  of  a  Mozart  quartet. 
Give  the  dotted  sixteenth  note  a  little  more  time,  to  suit 
the  nature  of  the  work. 

Again  I  would  call  attention  to  the  second  Kreutzer1 
e"tude,  and  slow  scales  with  the  crescendo  and  diminuendo 
four  times  on  one  note.  Many  claim  that  the  vibrato 
affects  the  quantity  as  well  as  the  quality  of  a  tone.  At 
any  rate,  the  vibrato  must  be  used  in  such  works. 

Play  the  4th,  5th  and  6th  measures  of  the  first  line  as 
indicated. 

In  the  next  measure  change  £  to  ^  before  the  high  G. 
After  the  double  bar,  practice  long  and  faithfully  the 
crescendo  note  in  the  4th  position.  Do  not  force  the 
syncopation;  use  the  whole  bow.  Raise  the  bow  slightly 
when  you  have  groups  of  two  notes,  thus: 

J"3    J"3    J"3    (last  measure,  second  line.) 

Play  the  last  measure  after  restez  on  the  A  string,  going 
into  the  5th  position  on  C#,  and  remaining  there  during 
the  next  three  measures.  Come  down  to  the  third 
position  on  D.  Play  the  trill  in  the  fifth  position. 
Detach  the  groups  of  three  notes,  slightly  raising  the  bow. 
Be  very  careful  not  to  hurry  the  tempo.  The  thirty- 
second  notes  are  played  very  legato,  and  the  following 
fingering  is  preferred : 


dim 

tr 


=Hzz  — j—  taqpzi 


1  See  footnote,  page  3. 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 


No.  9. 

Allegro. 
With  the  upper  third  of  the  bow. 


This  e"tude  is  marked  allegro.  It  is  not  so  rapid  a 
movement  as  to  interfere  with  a  free  forearm  stroke. 
The  mar  tele,  or  even  a  slight  staccato  stroke,  is  not  as 
useful  as  a  broad,  free  bowing  in  the  upper  half  of  the  bow. 
The  student  will  observe  that  while  some  modern  edi- 
tions suggest  the  staccato,  it  was  not  true  to  the  tra- 
ditions of  Fiorillo's  time. 

Begin  with  the  upper  half  or  upper  third  of  the  bow. 
A  free  swinging  stroke  is  desired.  At  the  beginning  of 
the  sixth  line  play  lightly  near  the  point  of  the  bow  and 
on  the  edge  of  the  hair: 


We  do  not  make  string-transfers  by  tilting  the  bow 
from  side  to  side.  We  play  on  the  edge  of  the  hair,  the 
long  string-transfers  being  made  with  a  movement  from 
the  shoulder,  if  more  than  two  strings  are  used.  Halir 


i8 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 


insists  on  the  mastery  of  scale  runs  from  the  highest  note 
of  the  scale.  The  pupil  must  think  the  tone  at  once, 
then  he  must  take  his  position  without  effort  and  remain 
in  that  position  as  long  as  necessary. 


After  we  leave  the  third  position,  the  thumb  goes 
under  the  violin  in  a  horizontal  plane.  The  fingers  must 
fall  well  over  the  strings,  without  unnecessary  move- 
ments. One  may  rest  the  palm  in  the  third  position  or 
not,  according  to  one's  physical  limitations,  but  there 
must  be  no  pressure  at  the  base  of  the  first  finger  and  no 
depression  of  the  joints  of  any  finger  in  the  positions. 
All  fingers  should  seek  their  places  at  once  and  remain 
fixed,  unless  one  is  playing  vibrato.  The  character  and 
tempo  of  an  exercise  determine  how  it  shall  be  played. 
The  first  finger  must  always  remain  near  its  original 
place,  so  that  the  position  may  not  be  disturbed  as  a 
whole.  Whenever  the  fourth  finger  seeks  a  place,  the 
first  should  fall  at  once  into  its  position;  that  is  to  say,  the 
position  must  be  mastered.  In  this  e"tude  the  bowing  is 
varied,  a  sure  test  of  mastery  of  several  styles  or  forms 
of  triplet  playing.  One  thing  the  teacher  must  insist 
upon:  that  the  bow  remain  usually  on  the  outer  edge, 
also  that  accents  that  fall  with  the  up  bow  shall  be  well 
defined.  The  closing  chord,  according  to  the  tenets  of 
the  Berlin  school,  should  never  be  played  like  an  arpeggio. 
Other  schools  differ  in  this  respect. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


This  ^tude  is  similar  in  style  to  number  nine.  It 
should  be  played  in  the  upper  part  of  the  bow,  forte. 
In  taking  the  fifth  position  on  the  last  note,  first  measure, 
the  first  finger  passes  at  once  into  place  and  remains  there. 
It  is  a  very  common  fault,  and  entirely  opposed  to  a 
fluent  left-hand  technic,  to  allow  the  first  finger  to  be 
released  when  playing  in  the  higher  positions.  Note 
the  Halir  exercises  for  sliding  quickly  from  the  third 
to  the  fifth  position  and  back.  One  must  remember  that 
the  thumb  does  not  press  on  the  neck  of  the  violin,  also 
that  it  slides  at  once  around  the  neck  of  the  violin  when 
passing  to  the  fifth  position.  One  must  never  press  with 
the  fleshy  part  of  the  thumb.  The  pressure  point  is 
below  the  joint,  on  the  bone.  Also,  the  chin  must  relieve 
the  thumb  of  all  care  as  to  support. 

The  fourth  and  fifth  lines  should  be  practiced  near  the 
point  of  the  bow,  and  memorized.  After  playing  a  run 
several  times,  the  progression  is  mastered.  The  player 
should  play  the  whole  passage  mentally,  then  place  the 
fingers  on  the  strings  exactly  as  they  will  fall.  I  have 
often  asked  my  pupils  to  write  down  the  arpeggios  as 
an  evidence  that  they  knew  the  musical  content  of  cer- 
tain eludes.  Again  we  must  insist  that  all  the  fingers 
seek  a  new  position  at  once.  The  strings  should  not 
be  pulled  from  side  to  side  in  the  higher  positions.  This 
causes  false  intonation.  While  a  fairly  free  forearm 
stroke  is  desired,  with  accentuated  first  notes  of  triplets, 
the  staccato  is  not  usually  practical.  Too  little  bow 


20 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 


gives  no  character  to  the  work.  Too  much  bow  causes 
a  jerky  movement  of  the  forearm.  Intonation  is  diffi- 
cult in  the  half-position,  hence  students  must  play  such 
passages  many  times.  The  fingers  must  be  prepared  for 
what  is  coming.  In  all  6tude  work  we  must  read  ahead 
and  place  the  fingers  mentally  before  we  come  to  the  next 
passage.  In  the  half-position  work,  fourth  line,  you 
will  observe  that  the  note  followed  by  two  slurred  notes 
may  be  played  staccato  lightly  near  the  point.  A  long 
stroke  is  dangerous  to  the  freedom  of  the  forearm. 
We  swing  the  forearm,  the  shoulder  joint  being  free,  the 
arm  following  the  wrist  in  passages  like  this: 


We  also  play  near  the  point  until  the  bow  arm  is  free . 
Single  notes  are  played  staccato,  lightly.  Such  passages 
as  this,  requiring  slurred  notes,  should  be  accented  in 
this  manner: 


b££2z±*23     ^ 

•*^J  »T-/  -5-5^N 


The  bow  should  be  free,  placed  on  the  edge  of  the  hair 
as  much  as  possible,  with  a  slight  undulating  movement 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


21 


of  the  wrist,  not  interfering  with  the  legato.     Contrasts 
of  legato  and  staccato  need  not  be  observed,  the  staccato 
being  less  marked  than  previously. 
In  passages  like  this: 


the  legato  must  prevail,  the  proper  note  receiving  its 
accent.  Whenever  it  occurs,  keep  near  the  upper  third 
or  point  of  the  bow  (the  single  notes  being  sometimes 
played  spiccato). 


The  eleventh  line  requires  some  contrast  between  the 
staccato  and  legato.  Very  short  slurred  notes  should 
be  played  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  (Play  single  notes 
spiccato.) 

Now  we  come  to  one  of  the  most  difficult  things  in 
violin  playing,  string-transfers,  skipping  one  string. 
(For  the  development  of  the  bow-arm  at  this  point, 
Sevcik's  4000  Bowings,  Part  II,  Sections  III  and  IV, 
are  very  useful.)  The  arm  moves  freely  from  the  shoul- 
der, the  motion  being  away  from  the  side.  The  bow 
remains  on  its  edge  as  much  as  possible.  Accents,  even 
when  a  note  falls  as  a  second  one  in  a  slurred  passage, 


22 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


must  be  observed.  The  fingers  should  seek  their  places 
simultaneously.  Keep  near  the  upper  part  of  the  bow, 
the  wrist  moving  freely,  not  being  under  the  plane  of 


=sf. 1 — ,«—  r         i      r  *\     m 


the  elbow;  the  fingers  are  relaxed,  the  fourth  being  on  the 
bow-stick.  As  an  example  of  staccato  bowing  and  the 
running  legato  combined,  this  e"tude  is  very  useful. 


No.  11. 


Moderate. 


Many  teachers  claim  that  this  e"tude  should  be  prac- 
ticed at  or  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  A  somewhat 
broader  and  freer  forearm  stroke  is  more  useful.  As  in 
other  examples  previously  analyzed,  the  staccato  is  not 
wholly  desirable.  The  trill  should  be  accented,  and  there 
should  be  no  variation  in  the  equality  of  notes  because  of 
the  trill.  Hardly  more  than  two  trills  are  possible.  The 
student  should  read  a  whole  measure  at  a  glance,  and 
place  the  fingers  at  once  in  position.  Perfect  freedom 
of  the  elbow  joint  is  desirable.  A  free  stroke  of  the  wrist 
is  necessary  in  short  string-transfers. 


HOW  TO  STUDY   FIORILLO.  2$ 

After  the  whole  e'tude  has  been  played  in  this  broad, 
free  style,  play  it  entirely  through  with  short  staccato 
bowing,  about  two  inches  from  the  point.  In  the  fifth 
line,  the  arpeggios  are  not  played  in  the  half -position. 
As  to  position  changes,  remain  in  one  position  until  it  is 
necessary  to  move  from  that  position.  The  sixth  line 
contains  the  third  position  followed  by  the  sixth.  The 
fingers  should  fall  at  once  into  the  sixth  position, 
the  entire  hand  moving  back  to  the  fifth  when  necessary, 
the  thumb  acting  in  unison  with  the  fingers.  Pupils  must 
be  perfectly  familiar  with  position  work.  When  the  fifth 
and  sixth  positions  are  to  be  used,  the  thumb  lies  flat 
under  the  neck  of  the  violin  and  the  fingers  are  curved 
over  the  strings.  Never  move  the  hand  or  depress  the 
fingers  until  the  work  in  a  certain  position  is  finished. 
We  now  come  to  a  passage  in  which  we  take  high  E  in 
the  fourth  position. 

Those  students  who  have  not  been  trained,  like  the 
followers  of  Halir,  to  play  three  octave  scales  and 
arpeggios,  beginning  on  the  highest  note,  are  likely  to 
make  errors  at  this  point.  To  the  student  of  Fiorillo, 
however,  one  position  should  be  as  familiar  as  another. 

Again,  we  take  F#  in  the  fifth  position,  but  this  is  not 
so  difficult,  as  we  have  just  played  G.  The  prevailing 
difficulty  with  players  is  that  they  continually  get  ready 
for  a  new  position  before  it  is  time  to  do  so,  giving  the 
hand  a  restless  motion,  and  changing  the  position  of  the 
fingers  so  that  they  play  falsely.  The  thumb  is  invariably 
too  slow  in  slipping  under  the  violin.  The  thumb  at  the 
middle  joint  must  be  depressed,  and  there  must  be  as 
little  pressure  as  possible  there;  the  chin,  resting  firmly, 
makes  freedom  possible  for  the  thumb.  It  is  very 
noticeable  that  Kubelik  has  marvelous  facility  in  taking 
the  high  positions,  his  fingers  falling  into  place  with  sur- 
prising dexterity.  He  has  a  perfectly  trained  hand.  As 
before,  the  player  glides  with  the  entire  hand  back  to  the 
fifth  position,  then  to  fourth,  and  lastly  to  the  third; 
again,  we  take  the  fifth,  then  fourth,  then  third,  second, 
and  first  positions.  The  thumb  must  be  absolutely  free, 


24 


HOW   TO    STUDY   FIQRILLO. 


with  no  pressure  at  the  middle  joint,  and  always  in 
advance  of  the  first  finger,  the  hand  moving  as  freely  as 
possible. 

The  transfers  across  four  strings  should  be  made  with 
ease,  the  arm  moving  out  to  the  side  from  the  plane  of  the 
shoulder,  the  wrist  being  free.  In  changing  positions,  the 
finger  last  used  moves  into  the  new  position.  The  secret 
of  playing  this  work  well  lies  in  the  absolute  freedom  of 
the  thumb.  Students  may  observe  that  in  the  last  line 
the  transition  must  be  made  from  the  sixth  to  the  first 
position,  the  hand  reaching  far  over  on  the  G  string,  the 
thumb  resting  on  its  tip,  yet  never  quite  released  from  the 
neck  of  the  violin. 


This  e*tude  is  most  valuable  as  a  study  of  positions, 
while  it  offers  no  varied  bowings.  It  is  purely  a  technical 
exercise,  radically  opposed  in  style  to  the  beautiful 
examples  of  cantabile  playing  offered  by  numbers  one, 
seven,  and  eight. 


No.  12. 

Few  of  the  Fiorillo  Etudes  are  played  by  the  student 
strictly  according  to  metronome  time.  Not  so  with 
Rode.  His  Caprices  are  often  studied  abroad  for  three 
years;  and,  by  the  time  the  student  has  completed  them, 
he  plays  them  like  finished  pieces,  at  metronome  time. 
Often,  too,  the  Rode  Caprices  are  memorized,  but  the 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO.  2  5 

t 

Fiorillo  Etudes  rarely  are.  The  Berlin  school  neglects 
Fiorillo  to  a  certain  extent,  but  Halir,  one  of  its  best 
exponents,  spends  considerable  time  in  the  study  of  them, 
giving  to  them  the  grace,  vivacity,  and  lightness  of  the 


Moderato. 


French  school  when  the  text  so  demands,  and  also  striv- 
ing for  the  breadth  of  the  German  school  in  pure  cantabne 
work,  as  found  in  slow  movements.  For  intricate  bow- 
ings Kreutzer,  with  the  supplementary  Massart 1  bowings, 
is  adequate.  Fiofillo's  Etudes,  as  previously  stated, 
cannot  be  studied  in  their  order.  Individual  needs  gov- 
ern the  teacher.  Perhaps  one  student  may  be  studying 
Fiorillo,  while,  also  studying  the  more  difficult  trill  and 
double-stop  Etudes  of  Kreutzer.  Some  of  the  Kreutzer 
Etudes  have  never  been  given  to  me  by  teachers.  It  is 
equally  true  of  Fiorillo.  If  I  seemed  to  have  a  weak 
point  in  technic,  or  if  my  bowings  were  stiff  and  angular, 
I  returned  to  Kreutzer.  I  was  taught  Kreutzer  and 
Rode,  over  and  over,  in  Berlin.  Many  of  the  Berlin 
teachers  say:  "Get  technic  from  the  standard  Concertos. 
Do  not  spend  too  much  time  on  technic  pure  and  simple." 
The  question  in  the  mind  of  the  Joachim  School  is  "How 
is  it  possible  for  the  Sevcik  followers  to  have  a  repertoire, 
when  they  are  made  to  study  technical  works  of  such 
length  and  seriousness  as  those  of  Sevcik?" 

1  The  Art  of  Studying  R.  Kreutzer' s  Etudes,  by  L.  Massart.  Four 
hundred  and  twelve  examples,  compiled  by  the  advice  of  the  author. 
Revised,  translated,  and  edited  by  Gustav  Saenger.  (English,  French, 
and  German  Text.)  Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York.  Price, 
60  cents. 


20  HOW    TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 

The  twelfth  e"tude  of  Fiorillo  is  not  one  in  which  technic 
is  prominent.  Its  object  is  mainly  the  freedom  of  the 
bow-arm.  The  fingers  of  the  left  hand  should  be  placed 
lightly  over  the  strings,  in  readiness  for  their  move- 
ment. They  should  anticipate  a  change  of  position. 
If  the  left  hand  is  ready,  bow  technic  is  more  easily 
secured.  Note  in  the  Hermann  edition  that  the  e*tude 
is  marked  forte.  It  should  be  played  lightly,  the  upper 
third  of  the  bow  being  used.  There  should  be  no 
marked  contrasts  of  the  legato  and  staccato;  in  fact,  the 
staccato  mark  is  not  to  be  interpreted  as  necessary  in 
such  Etudes  as  this,  because  the  stroke  is  so  free.  It 
would  be  impossible  to  play  this  e*tude  forte  in  the  upper 
part  of  the  bow,  and  give  it  lightness  and  grace.  The 
short  staccato  also  gives  less  breadth  to  the  stroke.  In 
similar  passages  the  length  of  bow  used  should  be  about 
uniform.  Note  the  inclination  to  cut  the  second  note  of 
a  group  of  two  tied  notes  in  anticipation  of  a  single 
staccato  note.  This  should  be  avoided.  All  violin  jerk- 
ing of  the  bow  on  single  first  notes  of  a  group  should 
be  avoided.  The  student  should  be  careful  to  slide  the 
thumb  well  under  the  neck  of  the  violin  in  the  fifth 
position  passages.  Do  not  move  the  hand  while  in  one 
position,  in  anticipation  of  the  next  position.  Do  not 
depress  the  fingers  in  the  fifth  and  sixth  positions  before 
passing  to  the  third. 

In  this  passage  avoid  forced  accentuation: 


Continuous  syncopation  should  be  uniformly  smooth 
and  even.     Nothing  is  of  such  value  to  a  violinist  as  a 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  27 

perfect  command  of  the  transition  from  the  third  to  the 
fifth  position,  and  vice  versa.  Many  faults  of  technic 
arise  from  too  much  pressure  of  the  thumb  upon  the  neck 
of  the  instrument,  thus  giving  the  player  no  freedom, 
and  inducing  a  bad  habit  of  bending  the  thumb  instead 
of  strengthening  it  for  the  fifth  position.  If  extensions 
are  to  be  made,  slide  the  thumb  a  little  farther  under 
the  neck  of  the  violin,  and  curve  the  fingers  well. 


Note  in  the  sixth  line  the  fifth  position  passage  on  the 
A  string.  Many  players  have  to  move  the  whole  hand  at 
this  point,  so  that  the  fingers  may  lie  easy  on  the  string. 
The  hand  should  assume  a  position  which  will  enable 
the  pupil  to  play  with  ease.  The  newer  chin-rests,  which 
are  wider  than  the  former  ones  used,  do  not  seem  to 
enable  one  to  hold  the  violin  with  ease.  The  chin  should 
rest  on  the  edge  of  the  chin-rest  rather  than  far  in  or 
on  the  tail-piece.  The  muscles  at  the  back  of  the  head 
become  cramped  by  gripping  too  hard.  A  little  piece 
of  chamois  leather  placed  between  the  left  jaw  and  the 
chin-rest  will  prevent  a  bruise  of  the  flesh,  the  bane  of 
professionals. 

In  the  ninth  line  we  have  the  form  of  bowing  known 
as  two  cut  and  two  slurred  notes.  The  notes  that  are 
cut  are  not  to  be  played  sharply  at  the  point  of  the  bow. 
They  are  swung  lightly  along  the  strings,  using  about 
one-third  of  the  bow,  the  tempo  being  moderate.  Again, 
the  student  must  be  cautioned  against  cutting  the  value 


28 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


of  the  second  slurred  note  in  anticipation  of  a  single  stac- 
cato note : 


Note  the  forte  passage  in  the  lower  half  of  the  bow: 

» 


This  should  be  played  in  a  somewhat  disconnected 
style  in  the  first  half  of  the  measure,  with  a  strong  accent 
on  the  first  note  of  groups  of  two.  The  latter  half  of  the 
measure  falls  about  in  the  middle  of  the  bow.  A  free 
stroke,  not  too  short  a  staccato,  is  preferred. 

The  tenth  line  opens  with  an  arpeggio  played  forte 
with  staccato  and  legato  strokes.  The  next  similar 
passage  is  played  pianissimo,  in  close  imitation  as  to 
style.  All  passages  of  this  nature  are  smoother  in  the 
upper  part  of  the  bow.  Avoid  forced  accents  or  any 
movement  which  interferes  with  free  bowing: 


In  the  twelfth  line  a  short  legato  passage  is  played  in 
the  upper  half  of  the  bow  rather  than  with  the  whole 
bow.  When  one  passage  closes  with  down-bow,  there 
should  be  no  break  in  passing  to  the  up-bow.  Two  notes 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  29 

slurred  lie  in  the  upper  half  with  as  long  a  bow  as  the 
tempo  will  allow.  In  passing  from  a  long  legato  passage 
to  a  short  one,  it  is  well  to  estimate  so  well  that  the  part 
of  the  bow  desired  may  come  at  once  under  control. 
All  passages  requiring  quick  transitions  on  four  strings 
should  be  played  as  broadly  and  with  as  free  a  bow-arm 
as  the  tempo  will  admit;  in  other  words,  too  little  bow 
gives  no  value  to  the  passage,  while  a  light  stroke  with  a 
longer  bow  is  made  more  valuable.  Naturally,  if  the 
tempo  is  increased  to  allegro,  we  must  remain  near 
the  point  of  the  bow.  When  four  strings  are  required,  the 
bow-arm  must  be  higher,  and  the  distinction  between  a 
forearm  stroke  and  a  pure  wrist-stroke  must  be  well 
defined.  In  rapid  legato  passages  all  pressure  upon  the 
bow-stick  must  be  avoided. 

Keep  the  legato  work  that  follows  in  the  upper  half  of 
the  bow,  avoiding  pauses  between  bows,  or  unnecessary 
accentuation.  Short  groups  of  slurred  notes  must  be 
played  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  Short  string-transfers 
are  made  with  the  wrist,  and  three  or  four  string-transfers 
with  wrist  and  arm,  the  bow  never  being  tilted  on  its 
inner  edge.  Play  on  the  outer  edge  of  the  hair  as  much 
as  possible,  resting  the  bow  on  two  strings,  or  as  nearly 
so  as  possible.  Do  not  release  the  fourth  finger  from  the 
bow-stick.  Rest  it  at  least  against  the  stick  if  not  on 
it;  all  work,  especially  in  the  lower  half  of  the  bow, 
demands  this  security  of  the  hand.  For  string-transfers 
of  this  kind,  see  Sevcik's  School  of  4,000  Bowings, 
Parts  III,  IV,  and  V;  Casorti's  School  of  Bowing;1 
the  work  of  Hans  Sitt,  Op.  92  ;2  and  the  Kross  Art  of 
Bowing.3 

1  Technic  of  the  Bow,  by  A.  Casorti,  Op.  50.     A  standard  work  of  its 
kind.     Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York.     Price,  75  cts. 

2  Technical  Studies,  by  Hans  Sitt,   Op.    92.     Part  I,    Exercises  and 
Studies  for  the  Cultivation  of  the  Left  Hand.     In  three  Books.     $1.00 
each.      Part  II,  Exercises  and  Etudes  for  the  Special  Development  of  the 
Right   Hand.     (Technics  of  the  Bow.)     In  three  Books.     $i.ooeach. 
Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 

1  The  Art  of  Bo-wing,  by  Emil  Kross.  A  practical,  theoretical  guide 
for  developing  the  technic  of  the  bow  and  for  acquiring  a  fine  tone. 
Price,  $1.00.  Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


Andante. 


No.  13. 


1 I 


This  graceful  and  interesting  e*tude  partakes  of  the 
qualities  of  the  French  school  with  added  dignity.  The 
andante  must  be  smoothly  played,  the  portamento  work 
being  given  especial  value  through  position  changes. 

Strange  as  it  may  seem  to  the  amateur,  artistic  phras- 
ing begins  with  Etudes;  for  instance,  many  of  the  Etudes 
Brilliantes,  by  Mazas,1  furnish  excellent  examples.  A 
natural  crescendo  occurs  in  the  last  four  measures  of 
the  first  line.  The  andante  is  graceful  and  dignified, 
a  perfect  example  of  legato  playing.  Transitions  from 
third  to  first  position  should  be  made  without  disturbing 
the  beauty  of  phrasing.  It  would  be  well  to  analyze  this 
andante  with  students,  pointing  out  simple  rules  of 
phrasing.  In  groups  of  two  notes,  accent  the  first  slightly 
and  pause  between  groups,  closing  the  phrase  with  a 
slower  tempo.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  rules 
of  phrasing  should  be  taught  in  Etudes  and  applied  to 
the  standard  Concertos.  If  Etudes  mean  anything,  all 
that  is  contained  in  them  should  be  brought  out.  This 
relieves  dry  and  lifeless  study,  and  gives  us  ample  oppor- 
tunity to  make  musicians,  not  machines. 

The  Presto  must  first  be  practiced  slowly  until  a  com- 

1  Seventy-six  Melodious  and  Progressive  Studies,  by  F.  Mazas,  Op.  36, 
in  three  Books.  Book  I,  fitudes  Speciales;  Book  II,  fitudes  Brilliantes; 
Book  III,  fitudes  d'Artistes.  Price  each,  50  cents.  Published  by  Carl 
Fischer,  New  York. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  31 

mand  of  bowing  and  technic  is  possible.  The  octaves 
are  played  in  the  upper  half  of  the  bow,  with  a  slight 
accent  on  the  first  note  of  each  group,  the  groups  also 
being  slightly  separated,  though  the  bow  is  not  raised 
from  the  strings.  Keep  nearer  the  point  than  the  mid- 
dle of  the  bow.  Do  not  hold  any  note  too  long.  Make 
phrasing  clean-cut. 

The  fingers  work  simultaneously,  and  must  not  leave 
the  strings  during  a  passage.  In  playing  octaves,  relax 
the  wrist  inward  and  curve  the  fingers  well.  Keep  the 
thumb  free  and  in  advance  of  the  first  finger.  Every- 
thing depends  upon  the  holding  of  the  violin  with  the  chin, 
not  with  the  thumb  and  first  finger.  The  bow-arm  must 
be  very  free.  The  player  should  not  be  timid,  sliding  the 
fingers  into  place.  The  hand  and  fingers  move  together. 
The  trilled  notes  should  be  played  with  a  sharp  accent, 
the  legato  being  contrasted  with  a  short,  crisp  staccato 
in  the  upper  part  of  the  bow,  about  two  inches  from  the 
point.  This  passage  should  be  played  near  the  upper 
third  of  the  bow. 


Notes  not  marked  staccato  are  to  be  played  freely,  with 
a  forearm  stroke.  Place  the  fingers  at  once  in  position 
for  arpeggios.  Note  the  suggestions  of  the  Kross  edition 
of  Kreutzer,  in  this  respect.  By  the  time  the  student 
has  reached  Fiorillo,  he  must  be  familiar  with  all  forms 
of  bowing.  He  is  now  to  apply  himself  to  technic. 

String-transfers  must  be  made  easily.  Returning  to 
the  octaves,  one  must  play  with  a  free  running  legato  in 
the  upper  third  of  the  bow.  Note  the  arpeggios,  which 
must  be  played  staccato  very  crisply  near  the  point  of  the 
bow.  There  is  a  prevailing  tendency  among  students 
to  play  the  slurred  legato  notes  with  a  longer  bow  than 
the  single  detached  notes.  A  freer  style  is  that  of  uni- 


32  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

form  length  of  bow  throughout.  When  it  is  possible, 
play  a  long  swift  stroke  in  preference  to  a  short  one  in 
passages  of  this  kind : 


1 


In  a  sudden  transition  to  high  D  on  the  A  string,  the 
portamento  is  allowed.  The  stroke  is  a  forearm  one. 
Now  we  return  to  the  octaves.  If  there  is  any  trouble  at 
this  point,  play  the  notes  together  until  the  pitch  is  quite 
accurate.  There  is  also  another  advantage.  In  octaves 
the  bow  lies  on  two  strings,  and  this  is  an  aid  to  the 
mastery  of  a  pure  legato  in  a  passage  in  which  the  notes 
are  not  played  together.  Note  the  almost  perceptible 
crescendo  as  the  octaves  progress.  After  several  meas- 
ures in  which  the  forearm  stroke  is  used,  we  come  to  short 
groups  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  In  the  fourth  line  from 
the  end,  we  return  to  the  short  passage,  to  be  treated 
somewhat  freely. 


In  passing  to  the  seventh  position  on  the  D  string, 
avoid  a  nervous  jerking  or  undue  pressure  upon  the  bow. 
The  portamento  is  naturally  desirable. 

The  arm  should  be  well  under  the  violin  in  the  octaves 
on  the  G  and  D  strings. 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


33 


5=S: 


a=r^^^Wi±l^gT  '    H 
=J^Ea=S37-^T3    j-^j-a— ;h-j 


ipt 

The  last  chords  are  not  played  like  arpeggios.     They 
must  be  full  of  decision.     The  down-bow  is  used  in  each 


case. 


No.  14. 


Adagio  sostenuio. 
On  the  G  string. 


^»  W£>//<?  espressione.      p 


It  is  an  erroneous  idea  that  those  outside  of  the  French 
school  sometimes  entertain  concerning  the  nobility  of 
tone  of  that  school.  In  cantabile  work,  tone-color  and 
proportion  are  sought  and  obtained.  Brilliancy,  vivac- 
ity, and  piquancy  belong  to  the  French  temperament, 
but  depth,  dignity,  and  nobility  are  possible,  even  in 
a  Frenchman.  Hence  it  is  that  such  exponents  of  the 
French  school  as  Thibaut,  Kreisler,  and  Marteau  play  an 
Adagio  with  beauty  and  nobility.  The  German  school, 
while  essentially  lacking  in  versatility,  lightness,  and 
elegance,  as  compared  with  the  French,  excels  only  in 


34  HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

breadth  of  tone,  purity,  and  dignity.  It  is  absurd  in  these 
days  of  constant  comparison  between  schools,  considering 
the  frequent  study  of  great  artists  in  several  Continental 
schools,  to  assume  that  any  one  of  them  has  the  only 
legitimate  interpretation  of  the  classics.  The  French- 
school  artist  plays  Corelli  and  Tartini  with  more  poetry 
and  varied  tone-color  than  the  German-school  artist, 
giving  to  all  the  classics  of  that  period  more  modernity 
and  consequent  beauty  than  they  ever  possessed  in  their 
time.  Again,  the  present  use  of  the  vibrato  gives 
warmth  to  any  classic.  I  speak  of  these  things  because 
one  can  learn  to  play  the  Adagios  of  Fiorillo  and  Rode 
in  Paris. 

In  connection  with  this  e'tude,  played  largely  on  the 
G  string,  it  would  be  well  for  the  student  to  study  such 
works  as  the  Raff  "  Cavatina,"  the  Bach  "  G  String  Air," 
an  Air  from  a  "  Suite  "  by  Johann  Mattheson,  and  other 
works  which  will  give  one  perfect  freedom  in  the  higher 
positions  on  one  string.  The  G  string  has  always  been  a 
favorite  one  for  beautiful  slow  movements  of  Concertos. 
Both  Bach  and  Paganini  realized  its  possibilities.  Pos- 
sibly the  student  holds  the  neck  of  the  violin  too  tightly 
with  the  thumb.  The  latter  must  be  ready  to  move 
quickly  into  any  position,  the  fingers  being  well  arched 
in  the  very  high  positions.  A  perfect  command  of  the 
legato  and  fine  discrimination  in  the  use  of  the  porta- 
mento are  desirable.  One  should  avoid  sliding  up  and 
down  the  strings  when  the  phrasing  does  not  demand 
the  portamento.  Do  not  hurry  the  movement.  Pause 
between  phrases  to  give  added  dignity.  In  playing  very 
high  on  the  string,  do  not  press  upon  the  strings  too 
heavily  with  the  bow,  as  the  length  of  string  is  now  so 
short  that  additional  pressure  gives  a  rasping  tone. 
Practice  the  crescendo.  Economize  space  in  long  bow- 
ing. Do  not  allow  the  fingers  to  leave  the  strings  at  such 
points. 

A  perfect  legato  can  only  be  obtained  when  the  fingers 
and  bow  are  in  perfect  sympathy.  A  somewhat  digni- 
fied trill  is  necessary.  Maintain  the  proper  tempo.  In 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


35 


the  last  line  preserve  the  legato  even  if  the  grace  notes 
seem  to  disturb  it.  At  the  close  begin  the  trill  slowly; 
then  increase  the  rate.  If  the  student  fails  in  the  com- 
mand of  the  higher  positions,  use  the  Halir  studies  daily. 
Freedom  will  soon  be  secured. 


No.  15. 


You  will  observe  that  the  older  composers  of  technical 
works  used  easy  keys.  They  themselves  were  players 
of  the  violin,  and  knew  how  to  write  in  a  violinistic  man- 
ner. You  will  also  observe  that  two  methods  of  playing 
this  dtude  are  indicated.  As  a  special  daily  exercise,  in 
connection  with  this  e"tude,  I  would  suggest  Sevcik's 
4,000  Bowings,  Op.  2,  Part  2,  Sections  III  and  IV,  two 
and  three  string-transfers.  After  playing  these  exercises 
for  an  hour,  including  the  Halir  legato  studies,  pages 
i  to  4,  Tonleiterstudien,  the  wrist  and  forearm  are  supple 
for  the  daily  work,  while  the  left  hand  falls  easily  into 
line.  In  all  technical  work  the  left  hand  must  be  trained 
to  anticipate  the  bow-arm.  More  depends  upon  the 
left  hand  than  upon  the  bow-arm,  hence  the  necessity 
of  strong  fingers  and  an  ample  technic. 

Allegro  is  an  elastic  term  in  the  classic  e'tudes.  Play 
slowly  and  without  stumbling  until  you  master  the  con- 
tent of  the  work,  then  increase  the  tempo.  The  preferred 
method  of  playing  this  £tude  is  the  lower  one.  Play  in 


36  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

the  upper  third  of  the  bow,  not  forte,  at  first,  until  free- 
dom of  the  bow-arm  is  assured.  A  lateral  stroke  of  the 
wrist  is  not  necessary.  The  wrist  should  be  flexible 
and  free,  however.  Play  a  smooth,  running  stroke,  for  a 
pronounced  staccato  is  likely  to  make  the  muscles  of  the 
fingers  and  wrist  rigid,  unless  one  has  perfect  command 
of  the  bow-arm  and  hand.  The  student  should  train 
himself  to  read  ahead  of  the  measure  he  is  playing. 
Place  all  the  fingers  in  position  at  once,  whether  a  new 
position  is  to  be  taught  or  not.  A  prevailing  tendency 
in  this  work  is  to  play  with  a  stiff  arm  and  to  use  too 
rapid  a  tempo.  That  is  not  wise.  Play  slowly  until 
freedom  is  assured.  The  sequence  of  positions  should 
not  trouble  the  player.  String-transfers  should  be  made 
on  the  edge  of  the  hair,  or  as  nearly  so  as  possible,  and 
there  should  be  no  "tilting"  of  the  bow  from  the  outer 
edge  to  the  middle  and  then  to  the  inner  edge  of  the  hair. 
Keep  the  forearm  high  enough  so  that  the  bow  lies  easily 
on  two  strings.  Always  anticipate  string-transfers  by 
practicing  arpeggios  on  four  strings,  with  the  entire  arm 
well  arched  and  no  break  in  the  curve.  While  many 
short  string-transfers,  especially  at  or  near  the  point  of 
the  bow,  require  only  the  use  of  the  wrist,  there  is  an 
almost  perceptible  movement  of  the  arm  from  the  shoul- 
der, so  that  the  curve  described  on  the  strings  may  be 
easy  and  graceful.  This  is  one  of  the  most  important 
things  in  connection  with  the  obtaining  of  a  beautiful 
legato.  A  study  of  my  Three  Octave  Scales,1  with 
varied  bowings,  in  the  upper  half  of  the  bow,  should 
be  carried  on  during  the  entire  study  of  Kreutzer  and 
Fiorillo.  Note  the  difficulty  of  easy  string-transfers  in 
the  sixth  measure.  These  are  very  treacherous,  if  one 
has  not  mastered  the  two  suggested  bowings  in  the  first 
five  lines.  Now,  let  us  take  the  passage  slowly  near  the 
point  of  the  bow,  the  first  note  being  played  lightly  stac- 
cato, and  the  next  two  slurred  notes  staccato  on  the  up 
bow.  Do  not  jerk  the  first  note  of  the  group  of  three. 

1  Daily  Exercises  and  Three  Octave  Scales,  by  Edith  L.  Winn.     Pub- 
Itehed  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York.     Price,  $1.00. 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  37 

Sometimes  teachers  prefer  to  use  single  detached  bowings 
throughout  the  exercise.  That  is  not  desirable;  in  fact, 
all  students  of  this  work  should  have  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  positions.  I  do  not  believe  in  the  practice  of 
many  and  varied  bowings  in  connection  with  Fiorillo. 
We  have  practically  fixed  the  fundamental  bowings  in 
the  first  twelve  Kreutzer  Etudes.  At  present  many 
teachers  are  using  the  Sevcik  ,4,000  Bowing  Studies, 
and  carefully  teaching  Mazas'  Etudes  Brilliantes .l  Sitt 
and  Dont  must  inevitably  aid  in  the  mastery  of  bow- 
ings, as  well  as  of  position  work.  There  is  so  much  to 
learn  from  standard  Concertos  that  it  seems  unwise,  in 
our  busy  American  life,  to  burden  the  student  with  too 
many  Etudes.  If  he  can  learn  the  great  principles  of 
violin  playing  from  well-known  works,  or  a  few  well- 
chosen  Etudes,  he  has  time  for  the  study  of  legitimate 
classics.  The  entire  Sevcik  plan  is  too  extensive  and 
impractical  for  American  violin  study;  nevertheless,  the 
most  progressive  teachers  are  adapting  Sevcik  to  the 
needs  of  their  pupils.  We  cannot  teach  as  Sevcik 
teaches;  our  entire  conditions  of  life  are  at  variance 
with  European  conditions.  If  the  preparatory  work 
for  Fiorillo  is  well  done,  we  may  be  sure  that  the  student 
will  progress  rapidly,  and  there  will  be  no  need  of  the 
introduction  of  many  and  varied  forms  of  bowing  at 
this  point.  Review  with  the  flying  staccato  in  the 
lower  half  of  the  bow,  also  at  the  middle  of  the  bow 
spiccato. 

Play  the  following  measures  at  the  point  of  the  bow: 


1  See  footnote,  page  30. 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


No.  16. 

Again,  the  term  Allegro  is  a  somewhat  elastic  one. 
The  stroke  is  at  or  near  the  point  of  the  bow,  the  first 
note  covering  enough  space  so  as  to  allow  a  longer  bow 
for  the  three  slurred  notes.  This  group  should  be  sharply 
accented.  Play  forte  throughout.  Play  the  longer  stac- 
cato groups  in  the  second  and  third  line  near  the  point 
of  the  bow,  using  as  little  space  as  possible,  until  we  come 
to  the  last  two  notes.  Owing  to  the  modulations  in  this 
e"tude,  I  frequently  ask  students  to  memorize  it.  We 
usually  analyze  it.  There  is  a  growing  tendency  among 
violin  teachers  to  analyze  all  technical  works  and  pieces 
with  students.  Foreign  teachers  rarely  do  so.  It  is  a 
question  whether  the  lesson  should  include  harmonic 
analysis.  That  should  be  taught  elsewhere.  The  violin 
teacher's  duty  is  to  teach  the  pupil  how  to  play  works. 
Harmony  and  theory  should  be  taught  in  classes.  It 
is  wise,  however,  to  call  attention  to  keys.  All  the 
major  and  minor  keys  should  be  studied.  Remember 
the  sharp  accentuation  on  the  first  note,  down  bow,  of 
slurred  groups  of  three  notes. 


The  trill  should  be  played  with  a  down  bow.  Raise  the 
bow  slightly  between  octaves;  also  play  at  the  middle 
of  the  bow.  Accent  trills.  The  fingering  in  the  last 
three  measures  is  as  follows: 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


39 


IVa. 


No.  17. 


Adagio. 


A  brief  glance  at  this  e*tude  would  naturally  give  one 
the  impression  that  it  is  played  in  a  light  manner.  It 
is,  however,  one  of  the  most  interesting  Adagio  studies 
in  violin  literature.  The  Fiorillo  Etudes  are  not  single 
detached  studies.  They  flow  into  each  other,  as  it  were, 
naturally,  and  with  sufficient  variety  as  to  tempo  and 
themes  to  make  them  fascinating  and  agreeable.  This 
e*tude  leads  into  the  more  rapid  eighteenth  etude  grace- 
fully and  with  dignity.  Both  etudes  are  usually  taken 
out  of  order,  on  account  of  their  difficulty,  and  the 
Kreutzer  double-stop  Etudes  are  reviewed.  Phrases 
should  be  full  of  meaning,  clean-cut  and  distinct.  The 
fingers  must  fall  simultaneously  in  double-stops.  A  slur 
within  a  slur  requires  a  slight  separation,  but  not  the  rais- 
ing of  the  bow.  Note  the  exact  reproduction  of  the 
first  phrase,  with  the  position  of  notes  inverted,  in  the 
second  phrase.  Note  the  second  and  third  measures, 
second  line,  the  short  staccato  being  avoided. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 
W.  B.  Nut. 


The  long  staccato  double-stop  passage  should  be 
played  with  slightly  detached  notes,  not  staccato  in  the 
extreme  sense,  with  a  slight  ritard  toward  the  close, 
about  two-thirds  of  the  bow  being  used,  so  that  the  fol- 
lowing legato  passage  may  be  free.  The  next  two  notes 
slurred  must  be  played  near  the  point  of  the  bow,  fol- 
lowed by  a  staccato  passage,  as  before  played  lightly 
and  detached,  with  a  free  running  stroke.  When  there 
are  groups  of  two  notes,  the  first  is  accented.  Phrasing 
must  be  clean-cut  at  this  point*. 


Naturally  there  is  a  ritard  at  the  close.  The  first  part 
of  the  e'tude  begins  on  the  tonic  triad,  with  the  funda- 
mental note  absent.  It  is  well  to  call  the  attention  of  the 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO.  41 

student  to  the  fact  that  the  second  part  of  the  6tude 
opens  with  the  dominant  chord,  the  fundamental  note 
being  absent.  There  is  a  decided  pause  in  the  fourth 
measure,  owing  to  the  demands  of  phrasing.  The  stu- 
dent should  play  one  phrase  repeatedly  until  mastered. 
The  fingers  move  simultaneously  into  new  positions. 
They  must  take  the  position  at  once.  In  the  third  line 
the  accompaniment  to  the  theme  must  be  lightly  played, 
no  note  being  carried  over  a  rest.  Do  not  accent  in  syn- 
copated passages,  nor  play  the  note  of  the  accompani- 
ment too  loud,  giving  it  more  than  its  value.  In  the 
seventh  line  the  short  notes  or  groups  should  be  played 
almost  in  a  recitative  style.  The  student  should  think 
his  interval  at  once  when  suddenly  passing  to  double 
stops;  in  the  higher  positions  the  fingers  fall  together. 
The  long  runs  may  be  played  more  nearly  in  staccato 
style.  In  the  third  measure  from  the  close,  play  the 
thirty-second  note  at  the  heel  of  the  bow. 


In  order  to  fully  appreciate  this  e'tude,  it  would  be 
well  for  the  student  to  hear  the  great  singers  in  such 
works  as  Bocca  bocca  bella,  by  Lotti,  or  Vieni  che  poi 
sereno,  by  Gliick,  which  offer  examples  of  pure  technic 
and  beauty  of  phrasing.  I  believe  I  can  say  frankly 
that  I  have  learned  more  about  phrasing  from  the  study 
of  voice  than  from  violin  study.  At  any  rate  the  one 
aids  the  other,  and  the  student  must  learn  to  play 


42  HOW  TO   STUDY  FIORILLO. 

Fiorillo  and  Rode  like  an  artist,  giving  to  purely  technical 
works  a  value  that  will  materially  aid  him  in  the  inter- 
pretation of  pieces.  Style  and  phrasing  are  so  essential 
to  violin  playing  that  one  should  hear  much  good  music, 
and  all  teachers  should  be  able  to  illustrate  the  important 
principles  of  bowing,  phrasing,  and  technic. 


Allegretto. 

V 


L/ff 

*     r             m     - 

i 

{• 

J     • 

ifH 

p 

1     * 

• 

• 

J       : 

"3        • 

r 

For  finished  studies,  using  double-stops,  6tudes  seven- 
teen and  eighteen  are  unexcelled.  The  latter,  like  the 
twelfth  Kreutzer,  may  be  played  for  years  with  profit. 
The  student  should  not  enter  upon  this  study  untrained. 
Beside  the  preparatory  work  of  Kreutzer  and  Sitt,  there 
are  excellent  double-stop  exercises  of  Wilhelmj ,  Hrimaly , 
and  especially  of  Halir,  used  so  little  as  yet  in  America. 
Halir's  idea  is  to  teach  double-stop  scales  in  sections, 
beginning  with  the  C  scale.  This  e"tude  should  not  be 
played  rapidly.  Allegretto  is  a  diminutive  term.  Play 
in  the  lower  half  of  the  bow,  the  bow  being  raised  for 
each  note.  The  student  should  place  the  fingers  simul- 
taneously. The  fingers  move  together.  The  positions 
must  be  thoroughly  understood  before  this  e"tude  is 
studied.  One  may  practice  it  for  months  with  profit. 
Generally  the  upper  part  of  the  bow  is  preferred,  with  a 
smooth  running  stroke  of  the  bow.  Teachers  differ 
concerning  the  manner  of  teaching  this  e"tude. 

All  staccato  passages  are  usually  played  crisply,  with 


HOW  TO  STUDY   FIORILLO.  43 

freedom.  Note  the  manner  of  playing  the  Halir  double 
stop  scales  with  varied  bowings,  i.e..  (i)  Lower  half 
detached;  (2)  Two  notes  tied;  (3)  Four  notes  tied; 
(4)  Entire  scale  in  one  bow.  It  is  always  best,  when  a 
student  is  advanced,  to  study  these  dtudes  of  Fiorillo 
first  with  the  bowing  as  marked,  not  with  easier  forms. 
It  is  far  better  to  play  a  passage  over  and  over  until 
correct,  than  to  institute  an  easy  method  of  bowing.  A 
mastery  of  technic  requires  constant  repetition.  Take 
the  tempo  slowly  at  first.  Always  sing  tone  and  play 
with  as  broad  a  stroke  as  possible  under  the  circum- 
stances, so  as  to  cultivate  a  broad,  free  style.  A  very 
light  passage  may  often  be  played  with  detached  notes, 
using  nearly  the  whole  length  of  the  bow.  When  play- 
ing double-stops  lightly,  do  not  press  upon  the  bow-stick; 
play  over  the  finger-board,  with  a  light  loose  stroke.  The 
middle  of  the  bow  is  an  excellent  place  in  which  to  play 
the  double-stops,  as  found  in  e"tude  18  and  elsewhere. 
For  small  hands  I  would  recommend  the  following  method 
of  playing  tenths:  Draw  the  first  finger  around  so  that 
it  lies  almost  flat  on  the  string  at  right  angles  to  the  neck 
of  the  violin.  Then  place  the  fourth  finger  in  position. 
It  is  probable  also  that  this  finger  cannot  be  curved. 
The  thumb  is  well  round  under  the  neck  of  the  violin. 
It  must  be  flat,  close  up  to  the  neck.  Do  not  release 
it  entirely  from  the  neck. 


No.  19. 

Allegretto. 
With  the  middle. 


^LH ft* '      I — ^lad 

' 


This  e"tude  begins  lightly  spiccato  at  the  middle  of  the 
bow.  With  the  crescendo  the  necessity  for  a  broader 
stroke  arises,  and  we  dispense  with  the  spiccato.  The 


44 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


following  passage  is  played  toward  the  middle  of  the  bow 
the  stroke  becoming  a  spiccato: 


Keep  in  the  upper  third  of  the  bow  when  the  tied 
notes  are  alternately  long  and  short.  In  the  seventh 
line,  second  measure,  play  the  staccato  run  at  the  point 
of  the  bow: 


No.  20. 


Moderate. 


•&&&&=#= 


As  an  example  of  string-transfers  in  the  positions, 
especially  upon  four  strings,  this  e*tude  is  unexcelled. 
Play  lightly  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  Prepare  for  each 
change  of  strings  and  for  rapid  position  changes  by  read- 
ing in  advance.  Always  keep  the  bow  well  over  two 
strings.  If  four  strings  are  to  be  used,  raise  the  arm, 
the  entire  arm  being  in  the  same  plane.  A  running 
legato  at  the  point  of  the  bow  is  desired. 

Raise  the  arm  out  from  the  side,  the  whole  arm  moving 
in  the  same  plane,  the  wrist  leading.  Note  the  great 
value  of  this  e"tude  as  a  preparation  for  the  third  move- 
ment of  the  Concerto  in  A  minor  by  Bach.  Short  string- 
transfers  require  that  the  two  fingers  used  fall  simul- 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


45 


taneously  on  the  strings.  The  arm  always  follows  the 
wrist.  If  arpeggios  occur  in  the  higher  positions,  place 
the  fingers  as  upright  as  possible  on  the  four  strings. 
A  variation  in  point  of  attack  interferes  seriously  with 
intonation.  Note  the  necessity  for  perfect  intonation. 
The  wrist  leads  in  transfers,  a  backward  dip  securing  a 
perfect  legato.  Do  not  secure  it  by  playing  on  the  inner 
edge  of  the  hair. 

If  the  legato  is  not  easily  played,  review  the  eighth 
Kreutzer  e"tude  in  groups  of  two  notes  at  the  point  of 
the  bow. 

A  study  of  Hans  Sitt's  double-stop  Etudes l  and  Section 
IV  and  V  of  Sevcik's  4,000  Bowings  is  desirable.  If  the 
e*tude  is  first  played  in  double-stops,  the  student  gains 
the  habit  of  thinking  the  relation  of  tones,  also  the  bow 
gains  facility,  and  lies  well  over  the  strings. 

A  running  legato  passage  of  two  notes  to  a  bow  is 
usually  played  anywhere  from  the  middle  to  the  point, 
preferably  near  the  point,  if  pianissimo.  A  quick  com- 
mand of  the  sixth  position  is  not  easy.  Two  fingers,  at 
least,  should  fall  at  once  into  place.  The  bow  should  lie 
almost  over  two  strings  at  the  point,  or  near  it.  There 
should  be  no  visible  rise  and  fall  of  the  arm  for  two  string- 
transfers.  In  moving  from  position  to  position,  the  legato 
should  not  be  disturbed.  A  slight  accent  on  the  first 
note  of  each  group  of  two  gives  character  to  the  e"tude. 
In  this  passage,  where  more  than  two  strings  are  to  be 
used,  one  naturally  moves  the  entire  arm. 


1  Hans  Sitt,  Technical  Studies,  Op.  92.  Part  I,  Book  III,  Double 
Stopping,  Thirds,  Sixths,  and  Octaves.  Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New 
York.  Price,  $1.00. 


46 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


A  slight  undulating  movement  of  the  wrist,  not  lateral, 
gives  freedom.  Play  near  the  edge  of  the  hair  as  much  as 
possible.  Raise  the  entire  arm  for  a  transfer  from  the 
E  string  to  the  G,  the  wrist  leading  slightly.  Describe  a 
curve,  not  an  angular  movement.  Do  not  turn  the 
violin  far  over  to  the  E  side.  Hold  it  lightly  with  the 
chin  and  let  the  body  of  the  instrument  be  nearly  flat, 
that  is,  make  the  angle  as  small  as  possible.  If  the  G 
string  is  high  in  the  air,  the  E  will  be  correspondingly 
low,  the  arm  close,  and  all  legato  work  or  string-transfers 
correspondingly  difficult.  The  rule  of  reading  ahead  and 
placing  ringers  on  the  strings  at  once  always  holds  good. 
As  examples  of  this  style  of  bowing,  one  may  mention 
the  Sevcik  4,000  Bowings,  Part  2,  Section  III,  IV,  V; 
also  the  Sitt  Technical  Studies,1  2d  part,  Op.  92,  with 
the  chords  played  as  arpeggios  in  many  ways.  There 
are  many  other  studies  of  this  nature;  for  instance,  the 
Kross  Bowings  of  Kreutzer's  Studies,  Nos.  i  and  8.2 
Naturally  the  student  must  think  modulations,  even  if 
he  is  perfectly  familiar  with  his  position  work.  Keep 
the  thumb  well  under  the  neck  of  the  violin,  so  as  to 
compass  four  strings  easily  and  at  once.  A  wise  plan 
with  students  who  are  very  careless  about  making  smooth 
string-transfers  is  to  ask  them  to  play  the  groups  as 
double-stops  singly  in  the  lower  half  of  the  bow,  using 
a  light  detached  stroke.  When  playing  such  passages 
as  this  do  not  throw  the  wrist  out,  necessitating  a  per- 
fectly flat  fourth  finger.  All  fingers  should  be  arched. 
Marie  Herites,  one  of  the  best  early  exponents  of  the 
Sevcik  school,  has  a  very  excellent  method  of  playing 


1  See  footnote,  page  29. 


2  See  footnote,  page  29. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


47 


tenths,  in  spite  of  her  short  fingers.  She  brings  her 
first  finger  far  around,  so  as  to  fall  at  right  angles  to  the 
neck  of  the  violin.  It  lies  flat  in  this  position  and  the 
fourth  falls  easily  into  place,  slightly  curved.  The  wrist 
is  somewhat  out  of  position,  and  the  thumb  far  under  the 
violin,  but  results  are  satisfactory.  Every  one  can  con- 
quer limitations  of  the  hand.  No.  20  is  not  a  virtuoso 
study.  It  belongs  essentially  to  a  good  repertoire,  but 
it  is  not  easy,  and  must  therefore  be  practiced  until 
perfect  freedom  is  secured  and  intonation  is  perfect. 


Moderate. 


No.  21. 


Several  editions  of  Fiorillo  suggest  varied  bowings  for 
this  e*tude.  We  have  practiced  varied  bowings  with 
Kreutzer,  Sevcik,  and  other  works.  One  should  be 
familiar  with  bowings  before  the  study  of  Fiorillo.  The 
content  of  the  e"tude  must  only  be  considered.  Use  a 
light  legato  bowing  near  the  point.  The  question  has 
often  been  asked,  "Does  the  thumb  bend  in  the  fifth 
position?"  After  we  leave  the  3d  position,  the  thumb 
becomes  flat  under  the  neck  of  the  violin.  Be  very  care- 
ful of  intonation  when  the  key  changes.  At  this  point 
do  not  change  position.  It  is  an  invariable  fault  of 
students : 


f  restez. 


48 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


A  quick  transfer  from  third  to  second  position  must  be 
made  easily.  All  passages  of  a  chromatic  nature,  or  in 
which  there  are  sudden  modulations,  should  be  played  a 
good  deal  until  correct  intonation  is  assured.  Owing  to 
the  great  similarity  between  Nos.  20  and  21,  it  is  wise  to 
play  the  twenty-second  before  the  twenty-first. 


Adagio. 
7th  Position 


No.  22. 


6th  Position.. 


The  twenty-second  £tude  is  one  of  the  most  beautiful 
adagio  studies  in  violin  literature.  It  is  particularly 
useful  to  those  who  are  studying  the  Bach  Sonatas  and 
the  Spohr  Duos.  There  is  no  need  of  playing  the  first 
note  timidly.  One  should  be  able  to  think  A,  because 
of  the  knowledge  of  absolute  pitch.  The  position  of  the 
note  is  naturally  difficult.  The  thumb  must  lie  well 
under  the  violin  neck,  in  order  that  the  passage  on  the 
A  string  may  be  played  with  ease.  Do  not  pull  the  A 
string  from  side  to  side  in  the  higher  positions.  This 
causes  false  intonation.  In  the  fourth  measure  use  the 
third  position,  then  change  to  second  position.  As  to 
the  length  of  bow  required,  the  volume  of  notes  and 
number  on  one  bow  govern  the  length,  but  a  uniformly 
broad  style  is  advocated.  One  serious  difficulty  in  the 
£tude  is  the  command  of  the  crescendo  and  diminuendo. 
Practice  the  three  octave  scales,  single  whole  bow 
slowly,  making  a  crescendo  four  times.  Use  the  vibrato 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


49 


freely.  Concerning  high  notes,  play  without  pressure 
upon  the  bow-stick,  as  the  tone  of  a  short  string  cannot 
be  forced.  It  is  of  the  utmost  importance  that  one 
should  play  with  correct  intonation.  The  high  notes  are 
not  as  strong  in  tone  as  the  low  notes,  owing  to  the 
difference  in  length  and  vibratory  quality  of  the  strings. 

We  will  now  turn  to  the  sixth  position.  The  first  note 
must  not  be  forced.  The  use  of  the  same  finger  for 
position  implies  the  portamento.  A  smooth  flowing 
legato  passage  is  naturally  to  be  played  with  a  longer 
bow.  Sudden  leaps  from  the  G  string  to  the  E  must 
be  made  with  a  high  arm  and  flexible  wrist. 

Play  the  bowings  as  marked.  You  will  observe 
slurred  notes  in  varied  groups.  The  three  notes  must  be 
played  with  a  long  bow  and  in  as  perfect  proportion  as 
the  longer  passage.  The  power  to  use  the  bow  wisely  is 
difficult  to  acquire.  Note  the  passages  in  the  seventh, 
eighth,  and  ninth  positions.  It  is  absolutely  necessary 
that  students  be  free  in  the  higher  positions.  Different 
editions  vary  concerning  the  fingering  in  the  last  line. 
The  bowing  is  usually  uniform.  The  difficulty  of  the 
£tude  naturally  makes  it  one  of  the  best  of  its  type,  for 
the  difficulties  are  legitimate  ones,  which  naturally  occur 
in  the  great  concertos: 


Allegro. 
H.  B. 


No.  23. 


•     t   _±   • — t 


The  bowing  suggested  in  the  twenty-third  £tude  is  one 
of  the  most  frequent  and  natural  ones  in  concertos.  It 
is  adapted  to  an  allegro  movement,  and  while  it  may 


50  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

be  satisfactorily  played  near  the  point  of  the  bow,  the 
forte  would  indicate  a  longer  bow,  possibly  the  upper 
third.  A  free,  undulating  movement  of  the  wrist,  with 
only  a  slight  arm  movement,  in  two-string  transfers  is 
desired.  Again,  the  student  must  be  cautioned  against 
raising  the  fingers  too  quickly.  All  fingers  must  take 
their  positions  quickly  and  maintain  them.  In  three- 
string  transfers  more  arm  movement  is  necessary.  Do 
not  play  over  the  entire  surface  of  the  hair.  Keep 
largely  to  the  outer  edge.  Note  that  the  middle  note 
is  higher  than  the  third  note  of  this  group,  hence  it  is 
wise  to  use  this  bowing: 


We  return  to  the  former  bowing  in  the  next  line. 


The  up-bow  is  not  staccato,  but  a  free  stroke  that  will 
not  be  a  decided  contrast  to  the  preceding  slurred  notes. 
In  connection  with  this  e"tude  observe  intonation  care- 
fully. Also  add  to  the  flexibility  of  the  wrist  by  the  use 
of  the  Etudes  of  Hans  Sitt,  Op.  92,  Book  III.1 


No,  24. 


* — *>  l\  ,  ^^      '      h       '  a.™*    '      ^       ' 


*    i 

1  See  footnote,  page  29. 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO.  51 

In  somewhat  decided  contrast  as  to  style,  this  etude  is 
played  with  a  short  staccato  stroke;  the  position  work, 
with  the  fourth  finger  in  the  lead,  must  be  free,  the  thumb 
and  first  finger  perfectly  relaxed,  the  violin  being  held 
firmly  with  the  chin.  Double-stops  require  perfect  free- 
dom and  uniformity  of  finger  action;  the  fingers  move 
with  the  hand,  and  the  thumb  and  hand  move  in  the  same 
plane.  The  octaves  are  played  in  the  upper  part  of  the 
bow,  with  as  broad  a  stroke  as  the  tempo  permits.  One 
should  not  play  allegro  if  unprepared  for  the  tempo. 

The  tenths  are  to  be  played  very  lightly  near  the  point 
of  the  bow,  using  about  three  inches,  at  least,  of  the  bow. 
Relax  the  wrist  as  much  as  possible,  and  play  near  the 
outer  edge  of  the  hair.  Marked  depression  of  the  wrist 
makes  the  position  of  the  hair  variable  on  the  strings. 
Again,  the  movement  of  any  fingers,  especially  the 
fourth,  to  and  fro  on  the  bow-stick,  produces  an  uncer- 
tain legato.  Play  the  tenths  as  before  indicated.  The 
seventh  line  reproduces  the  form  of  the  first  line,  the  first 
and  fourth  fingers,  at  least,  remaining  on  the  strings 
constantly.  The  upper  third  of  the  bow  is  used.  The 
tenths  are  frequently  played  with  staccato  bowing  in 
the  middle  of  the  bow.  This  gives  a  free  stroke,  but 
the  upper  part  of  the  bow  is  preferred.  Make  a  slight 
accent  on  the  first  note  of  each  group  of  two.  Also 
slightly  raise  the  bow  for  this  attack,  and  swing  the  stac- 
cato up-bow  quickly  along  the  string.  This  is  a  some- 
what free  style  of  playing,  which  suits  the  passages  of 
tenths  and  gives  them  vivacity  rather  than  heaviness  of 
character. 

Now  note  the  rapid  running  legato  at  the  point  of  the 
bow: 


52  HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

This  is  easily  played,  if  the  thumb  moves  freely  and  if 
the  fourth  finger  slides  along  the  strings.  The  first  and 
fourth  move  together  in  octaves.  It  is  also  true  of  tenths. 
The  followers  of  the  French  school  always  play  chords  in 
an  arpeggio  style.  This  is  not  true  of  the  Berlin  school. 
The  followers  of  that  school  fall  with  force  upon  the 
strings,  taking  three  or  four  notes  simultaneously.  For 
the  development  of  such  a  style  see  Sevcik's  4000  Bow- 
ings, Section  V  (Part  3). 


No.  35. 


P 

^•^•^•^•^H^MBM^H^  ______ 


This  e*tude  furnishes  an  excellent  example  of  phrasing 
and  style.  Before  beginning  the  study  of  it  one  might 
well  play  Halir's  runs  up  and  down  each  string  for  the 
pure  legato  and  position  work.  The  student  gains  free- 
dom in  this  way.  Do  not  press  too  heavily  on  the  bow- 
stick  for  the  higher  positions,  as  a  rasping  sound  results. 
The  crescendo  and  legato  must  not  be  sacrificed.  Note 
the  reappearance  of  the  theme  on  the  E  string.  As  brood 
a  bowing  as  possible  is  desired.  The  sixteenth  notes  fall 
about  in  the  middle  third  of  the  bow,  the  thirty-second 
notes  lying  nearer  the  point  of  the  bow.  The  fourth 
line  begins  a  new  form  of  the  original  theme.  The  up- 
stroke is  rather  a  broad  staccato,  not  a  spiccato  bowing. 
The  bow  is  not  raised  from  the  string,  but  swings  along 
the  string  lightly.  Notes  marked  with  a  dot  have  variable 


HOW   TO    STUDY   FIORILLO. 


53 


meanings,  according  to  the  tempo  of  a  work.  In  this  case 
the  short  staccato  would  be  too  trivial.  The  following 
measure  should  be  played  in  the  upper  part  of  the  bow 
very  firmly,  gradually  diminishing  in  the  next  line  to  a 
pianissimo  near  the  point  of  the  bow: 


8 


dim 


No.  26. 

To  be  played  with  the  upper  third  of  the  bow : 
Allegro. 


"You  will  observe  that  Fiorillo  makes  decided  contrasts 
in  his  Etudes.  The  twenty-sixth  naturally  assumes  a 
more  lively  character.  It  opens  with  a  crisp,  bright 
staccato  in  the  upper  third  of  the  bow.  The  last  two 


54 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


measures  of  the  first  line  are  naturally  played  somewhat 
near  the  point  of  the  bow.  Perfect  freedom  of  wrist 
and  forearm  is  desired.  The  form  of  the  second  line 
is  like  that  of  the  first  line,  and  the  same  bowing  is  used. 
Now  we  contrast  the  staccato  and  legato  passages.  If 
the  octaves  seem  difficult,  lead  the  student  to  practice 
the  octave  studies  of  Halir  and  Schradieck.  The  legato 
triplets  in  octaves  are  near  the  point  of  the  bow.  Note 
at  this  point  that  the  quarter  notes  extend  throughout 
the  upper  legato  groups.  It  was  a  strange  idea  of  the 
Peters  edition  to  introduce  the  groups  with  an  up-bow. 
In  our  present-day  study  we  seek  to  make  Etudes  "fit 
into"  modern  solos.  This  style  of  bowing  is  almost 
obsolete. 

The  bowing  is  now  reversed,  the  first  note  being  short, 
the  next  two  slurred;  but  we  soon  return  to  the  original 
method.  If  the  group  opens  with  a  high  note  followed 
by  a  low  note,  then  a  high  note  again,  the  bowing  is  as 
follows : 


4= 1=- 


£:}=      t= 


*A 


S 


±   ^--0-   -V 


-tz tujz 4=14= $=- 


If  the  notes  ascend  the  scale,  they  are  most  frequently 
bowed  thus: 


The  arpeggios  that  follow  are  legitimate,  being  easily 
played  in  the  upper  part  of  the  bow.  The  tempo  governs 
the  length  of  the  bow.  Pupils  learn  to  feel  for  bowing; 
in  fact,  to  make  few  errors  in  passages  of  a  similar  nature, 
because  they  have  been  trained  to  play  correctly,  if  the 
Massart  bowings  1  are  used  with  the  study  of  Kreutzer. 

1  See  footnote,  p.  25. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


55 


Play  this  measure  in  the  middle  of  the  bow,  raising 
the  bow  slightly  for  each  group;  accent  the  second  note 
of  each  group: 


No.  27. 


Allegretto. 


tfe^ 


^*£^fe 


1 


segue. 

This  e"tude  should  not  be  played  too  rapidly,  a  light 
stroke  in  the  upper  third  or  upper  half  of  the  bow  being 
somewhat  easily  secured.  The  first  note  of  the  groups 
of  three  notes  must  be  played  without  pressure  upon 
the  bow.  It  is  a  light  staccato.  The  bow  lies  well  over 
two  strings.  Take  the  second  position  at  once.  Do  not 
try  to  make  the  bow-strokes  uniform  in  length.  Free- 
dom is  at  first  secured  at  or  near  the  point  of  the  bow, 
the  wrist  being  very  supple.  Do  not  release  the  fourth 
finger  entirely  from  the  bow-stick.  Varied  bowings  are 
not  desirable,  as  the  wide  range  of  violin  literature 
demands  a  knowledge  of  the  specific  content  of  Etudes. 
The  bowings  required  in  the  Fiorillo  Etudes  ought  to  be 
familiar  to  students  long  before  they  reach  this  point 
in  their  study. 

Before  the  change  into  a  new  key,  play  a  crescendo  of 
two  measures.  Do  not  rest  at  the  base  of  the  first  finger 
unless  necessary.  Avoid  the  vibrato.  Relax  the  thumb. 


50  HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 

Hold  firmly  with  the  chin.  Rapid  changes  to  new  posi- 
tions require  a  simultaneous  movement  of  the  first  and 
fourth  fingers.  Relax  the  wrist.  The  thumb  is  usually 
in  advance  of  the  first  finger  and  remains  thus.  Play 
the  last  line  at  the  point  of  the  bow  very  lightly.  If  it 
is  necessary  to  move  the  thumb  from  under  the  neck  of 
the  violin,  do  so;  in  extreme  cases  it  may  rest  against  the 
body  of  the  violin,  but  this  is  not  usually  necessary. 
In  high  positions,  the  hand  is  raised  and  the  fingers  fall 
vertically.  Raise  the  arm  high  in  the  upper  positions; 
arch  the  fingers  well  over  the  four  strings,  with  a  slight 
turning  inward,  if  three  or  four  strings  are  required.  Be 
careful  of  false  intonation  in  the  last  two  lines.  Press 
lightly  upon  the  bow-stick  when  playing  in  the  very 
high  positions: 


|s—  '- 

-              +-     : 

i 

* 
r 

•  . 

i 

9-     • 

£ 

9- 

No.  28. 


With  the  middle. 


segue. 


HOW   TO    STUDY   FIORILLO. 


57 


There  are  no  new  principles  of  bowing  to  be  presented 
in  this  e'tude.  A  running  light  legato  at  or  near  the  point 
of  the  bow  is  desirable.  Keep  the  bow  well  over  two 
strings.  If  by  this  time  the  legato  is  not  free,  analyze 
each  measure  and  introduce  chords.  Also  practice  in 
the  middle  of  the  bow. 

This  practice  gives  the  bow  poise  upon  the  strings, 
and  enables  the  student  to  understand  the  fundamental 
basis  of  string-transfers.  Another  excellent  plan  is  to 
play  each  group  several  times  in  twos,  fours,  and  eights. 
Other  excellent  methods  are  to  play  the  entire  measure 
in  one  bow,  or  two  measures  in  one  bow.  Occasionally 
play  a  little  below  the  middle  of  the  bow,  raising  the 
bow  slightly  for  each  stroke. 

This  is  a  free  stroke  with  the  principle  of  the  flying 
staccato.  An  excellent  bowing  is  this: 


=-:     i   •   i    H=T  |     i     i~7     |     i — ^7= 

•jf« — -I — §• — H — I  J     i  H^ 

.^    _^ — ipcB-zoF--  H»—  — *— T3 


These  bowings,  however,  can  only  be  used  in  portions 
of  this  exercise.  At  any  point  in  the  study  of  Fiorillo,  if 
the  student  has  not  developed  freedom  of  bowing,  return 
to  the  Sitt  double-stops.  Also  use  the  third,  fourth,  and 
fifth  Sevcik  books  (4,000  Bowings],  the  Schradieck  Arpeg- 
gios 1  with  varied  bowings,  and  my  Three  Octave  Scales.2 

1  Henry  Schradieck,  Technical  Violin  School,  Part  III.     Exercises  in 
the  Different  Modes  of    Bowing.      Also   Chord    Studies.     Price,  each, 
50  cents.     Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 

2  Daily  Exercises  and  Three  Octave  Studies,  by  Edith  L.  Winn.     Pub- 
lished by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York.     Price,  $1.00. 


58  HOW  TO    STUDY   FIORILLO. 

I  very  frequently  use  the  Tartini  Art  of  Bowing1  in  con- 
nection with  Fiorillo,  as  a  further  illustration  of  bowing. 
A  review  of  the  Kreutzer  (first  twelve)  Etudes 2  is  very 
useful.  The  student  must  understand  that  the  more 
solid  the  technic  of  the  bow  and  left  hand  is  fixed  in 
America,  the  more  rapid  advancement  will  be  in  foreign 
music  centres.  It  is  not  wise  to  neglect  details  or  prin- 
ciples. Naturally,  from  our  conditions  of  life,  we  cannot 
always  obtain  the  same  high  standards  in  America  as  in 
Prague,  Berlin,  and  Paris. 


Grave. 
sostenuto, 


No.  29. 


We  have  now  had  so  much  practice  in  double-stops  that 
this  £tude  offers  little  that  is  new  or  interesting;  never- 
theless, it  is  valuable.  Do  not  allow  the  accompaniment 
to  stand  out  too  prominently.  Keep  the  theme  as  an 
example  of  pure  legato  playing.  The  bow  must  lie  well 
over  two  strings,  and  no  note  in  the  accompaniment 
should  be  held  too  long.  Notes  must  fall  simultaneously, 
if  so  written.  The  tempo  must  be  maintained  through- 

1  J.  Tartini,  The  Art  of  Bowing.     Fifty  Variations  on  a  Gavotte  by 
Corelli.     Price,  50  cents. 

Special  Concert  Edition  of  Ten  of  these  Variations  by  Ovide  Musin. 
Price,  75  cents.  Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 

2  See  footnote,  page  3. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


59 


out.     The  movement  is  earnest,  yet  not  adagio.     Grave 
refers  to  the  character  of  the  work,  not  to  its  tempo. 

At  this  point  play  the  up-bow  notes  with  a  running 
stroke,  not  the  short  staccato: 


Observe  the  same  manner  of  playing  in  the  last  line : 


THE   MODERATO. 


Moderate. 


It  may  be  a  good  plan  to  play  the  staccato  and  legato 
notes  with  a  decided  contrast  in  style.  The  French 
school  teachers  play  the  staccato  notes  short  and  crisp 
near  the  point  of  the  bow.  The  German  school  prefer  a 
less  detached  stroke,  using  about  one-third  of  the  bow. 
You  will  observe  that  the  short  bowings  are  more  fre- 
quently required  throughout  the  study  of  Fiorillo  than 
a  broad  style  of  playing.  The  wrist  must  be  very  free. 
The  bow-stroke  is  not  a  lateral  one.  Do  not  make  a 
wide  difference  in  length  of  bow-stroke.  Sing  the  theme. 
Place  the  fingers  on  the  strings  at  once.  Read  in  ad- 
vance of  the  measure  which  you  are  playing.  Anticipate 


6o 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO. 


string  changes  with  the  wrist  in  short  transfers.     Do  not 
slide  into  positions. 

In  the  sixth  and  ninth  lines  think  the  position  changes 
at  once.  If  we  can  sing  a  theme  before  taking  a  position, 
true  intonation  is  assured.  Many  students  who  are 
beginning  the  study  of  the  second  position,  using  the 
Wohlfahrt  and  Sitt  studies,  ask  if  the  second  and  fourth 
positions  are  useful.  One  must  turn  to  the  e'tudes  of 
Kreutzer,  Fiorillo,  Rode,  and  Gavinies,  showing  many 
examples.  As  a  means  of  ear  training  I  consider  the 
second  position  very  valuable.  The  student  who  has 
difficulty  with  the  fourth  is  likely  to  have  the  same  with 
the  fifth  and  sixth  positions.  One  cannot  stress  too 
much  the  value  of  the  careful  study  of  positions.  Begin- 
ning at  the  second  page  of  this  e'tude,  it  is  well  to  play  a 
somewhat  shorter  staccato  stroke.  The  string-transfers 
are  made  by  throwing  the  wrist  over  the  string,  in  cases 
in  which  one  goes  from  G  to  A  or  D  to  E.  I  sometimes 
review  parts  of  the  e'tude  with  spiccato  bowing  at  the 
middle  of  the  bow,  single  strokes.  You  will  observe 
the  term  sempre  staccato  in  some  editions.  Play  a  little 
broader  stroke  than  this  term  would  indicate.  The  last 
three  lines,  not  including  the  last  line,  are  very  difficult. 
Play  lightly,  using  little  bow.  Move  the  left  thumb  far 
round.  Keep  the  middle  joint  flat.  Bend  the  finger 
toward  the  G  string  to  command  the  positions;  also  keep 
the  fingers  down  when  not  in  use.  Do  not  use  the  vibrato 
in  any  case  except  one  in  which  a  broad  free  bowing  is 
desired,  as  in  an  adagio  movement.  Be  very  careful  of 
intonation. 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


61 


Allegro. 


No.  30. 


3—         i— 


As  a  preparation  for  this  e'tude,  use  the  Schradieck  and 
Sevcik  works.  I  find  Schradieck's  Technical  Exercises 
and  Scales  and  Arpeggios  valuable,  though  I  prefer  the 
method  of  playing  scales  as  advocated  by  Halir,  because 
Schradieck  repeats  the  fundamental  note,  thereby  mak- 
ing a  perfect  legato  well-nigh  impossible.  The  order  of 
Schradieck's  scales  I  do  not  deprecate.  The  stroke  here 
used  is  a  short  staccato  in  the  upper  third  or  a  martele'  in 
the  middle  of  the  bow.  I  have  already  explained  how  to 
cross  one  string  without  playing  upon  it.  Throw  the 
bow  by  a  short  quick  stroke  of  the  forearm  well  over  the 
string,  keeping  the  arm  high,  out  from  the  body.  Make  a 
curve,  not  an  angle. 

If  the  very  high  positions  and  rapid  changes  seem  too 
difficult,  play  the  intervals  on  the  piano  a  few  times. 
Think  the  tone.  Do  not  strive  for  speed.  The  bowing 
and  intonation  are  of  first  importance.  Play  the  slurred 
notes  in  the  sixth,  seventh,  eighth,  and  ninth  lines  legato, 
until  freedom  is  secured.  Altogether  this  is  a  most 
difficult  e'tude,  and  it  should  be  practiced  even  when 
other  e'tudes  are  under  our  consideration. 

The  entire  e'tude  is  not  played  with  a  very  short  stac- 
cato stroke.  The  fingers  must  seek  their  positions  at 
once.  Avoid  an  awkward  arm  stroke. 


62 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


No.  31. 


Moderate. 


As  we  have  played  several  Etudes  of  this  type,  I  use 
varied  bowings. 

(1)  The  lower  third,  second  group  flying  staccato. 

(2)  Middle  spiccato, 
(20)  Upper  third,  legato. 

(3)  Single  measures  on  one  bow. 

(4)  In  groups  of  four  notes. 

(5)  Running  legato  at  point. 

From  a  technical  standpoint  this  6tude  is  not  as  diffi- 
cult as  some  that  precede  it.     At  the  fifth  line  it  would 


i    :     -Tiii    n  i  1+ '  iM    i     '  i  i- 1  '•  i  | 

-+         -9-  *  O  5    3    *        -0- 


be  wise  to  play  a  rather  short  stroke  near  the  point  of 
the  bow.  Show  the  pupil  examples  of  similar  bowings 
in  the  8th  Rode  "Concerto,"  the  226.  and  23d  Viotti,  the 


HOW   TO    STUDY    FIORILLO.  63 

Bach  "A  Minor,"  etc.  As  an  example  of  the  pure  spic- 
cato,  refer  to  the  "Perpetual  Motions"  of  Ries  and 
Bohm.  As  a  type  of  running  legato  use  Schubert's 
"The  Bee."  As  an  example  of  octave  and  tenth  study, 
point  out  passages  in  the  "Polonaise"  of  Vieuxtemps. 
Short  detached  strokes,  two  notes  on  one  bow,  below  the 
middle  of  the  bow,  are  very  useful.  Broad,  vigorous 
strokes  with  the  upper  third  of  the  bow  are  excellent 
toward  the  close: 


Throughout  all  £tude  work  I  stress  the  great  funda- 
mental principles  of  bowing.  I  cannot  see  that  the 
playing  of  a  great  many  eludes  counts  for  much  if  we 
neglect  principles.  When  we  go  abroad,  all  our  work 
ends  until  we  correct  bad  habits  and  master  principles 
which  ought  long  ago  to  have  been  mastered.  It  is  all 

very  well  to  say  that  Mr.  X ,  a  great  artist,  does  not 

adhere  to  the  particular  creed  of  his  school.  Perhaps  he 
cannot  be  bound  by  a  method.  The  rank  and  file  of  us 
must  cling  to  something.  Elastic  rules  cannot  be  made 
for  amateurs.  There  must  be  definite  rules  of  action. 
To  clinch  a  point,  I  may  select  many  illustrations.  It 
is  better  to  settle  it,  once  for  all,  than  to  pass  on  and 
return  to  it  with  a  brain  dazed  by  many  principles  and 
multiple  illustrations  totally  unrelated.  Teach  thoroughly 
what  you  teach. 


64  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

No.  32. 

Adagio  espressivo. 
sostenuto. 


±*=t±££T3pH 

f. — -] ,. — _-r    tl 


1   X 


This  6tude  must  be  played  with  a  singing  tone,  the 
accompaniment  being  clear,  smooth,  and  elegant,  as  in 
e"tude  number  two.  The  lower  notes  must  strictly  be 
in  time  and  of  proper  duration.  This  type  of  accom- 
paniment, found  in  the  Bach  unaccompanied  "Sonatas," 
the  solos  of  Paganini,  the  "Twenty-second  Concerto" 
of  Viotti,  and  other  works,  is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
forms  in  solo  violin  playing.  While  it  is  free,  graceful, 
refined,  and  elegant  in  the  sonata  and  concerto,  rhythmic 
abandon  is  hardly  allowable  in  an  6tude.  The  melody 
must  always  be  supported  by  absolute  precision  in  the 
accompaniment.  While  this  e"tude  is  an  excellent  ex- 
ample of  pure  cantabile  playing,  its  graceful  accompani- 
ment relieves  it  from  the  somewhat  rigid  style  of  the  mere 
e"tude.  In  that  respect  it  is  superior  to  number  thirty- 
three  from  a  musical  standpoint.  In  the  third  line  you 
will  observe  a  staccato  run.  Make  this  a  running  stac- 
cato, not  short  and  crisp.  Do  not  hasten  the  tempo; 
rather  hold  back  in  order  to  obtain  a  dignified  cantabile. 
In  the  fifth  line  sing  the  theme,  and  dip  the  bow  slightly 
for  the  running  accompaniment,  which  must  occur  ex- 
actly in  time.  Do  not  accent  the  accompaniment  notes 
too  much.  Give  them  only  their  value.  Keep  the  bow 
as  close  upon  two  strings  as  possible : 


HOW  TO   STUDY  FIORILLO. 


& 


1  -*:  1    —    -   —    "1    /-*v»c/". 


^F.       *1f.     *1  -9-  I  -*-      I     —     „   —       I     rrfvr 

\S          i/  ^  |y  •)  cresc. 

P  "^    V        V 


Allegro. 


Students  ask,  "Is  this  a  short  staccato?  Where  do  I 
play  such  a  passage?"  The  value  and  tempo  of  a 
work  govern  bowing.  Avoid  meaningless  bowing.  Play 
broadly  when  possible.  One  must  study  the  classics 
and  discriminate  between  the  style  of  different  schools 
and  periods  if  one  is  to  judge  of  methods  of  bowing. 
In  this  case,  play  with  a  free,  somewhat  broad  tone,  in 
the  upper  part  of  the  bow.  Produce  a  resonant,  singing 
tone.  Do  not  decrease  the  tone  in  an  ascending  passage. 
It  is  a  good  plan  to  play  the  arpeggios  separately,  that  is, 
repeating  each  line  over  and  over,  until  they  are  mas- 
tered. If  the  student  has  difficulty  with  them,  review 
the  twelfth  Kreutzer  £tude.  The  second  and  fourth 
positions  require  much  more  careful  practice.  Use  a 


66 


HOW  TO  STUDY   FIORILLO. 


free  forearm  stroke  when  it  is  possible.     Passages  of  this 
nature  may  be  played  near  the  point  of  the  bow: 


Note  the  octaves  in  the  eleventh  line.  They  should 
be  played  in  the  middle  of  the  bow,  slightly  detached,  the 
bow  being  raised  by  a  flexible  wrist  stroke,  the  first  note 
of  the  group  being  accented.  Certain  teachers  prefer  a 
perfect  legato  at  the  point  of  the  bow.  The  stroke  at 
the  middle  is  freer.  Do  not  press  upon  the  bow-stick, 
as  the  bowing  must  be  light,  especially  in  the  chromatic 
passage : 


The  single  detached  notes  of  the  last  line  are  more  easily 
played  with  spiccato  bowing  at  the  middle  of  the  bow. 
They  may  also  be  practiced  with  a  short,  crisp,  light 
staccato  at  the  point: 


8. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


No.  34. 


Moderate. 


There  are  three  methods  of  playing  the  first  part  of  this 
e'tude.  One  is  a  broad  detached  stroke,  middle  to  point. 
The  second  is  a  short  staccato  stroke  near  the  point  of 
the  bow.  The  third  is  the  spiccato  at  the  middle.  As 
the  position  changes  are  difficult,  use  the  most  easily 
acquired  bowing  at  first.  That  would  be  a  forearm 
stroke.  Practice  the  sixth  position  passage  separately 
until  mastered.  Each  position  change  should  be  mas- 
tered before  going  to  the  next.  It  might  be  well  to  select 
certain  arpeggio  studies  of  Schradieck  and  Kreutzer  in 
connection  with  this  e'tude,  for  the  sake  of  a  mastery  of 
principles.  Varied  bowings  should  follow  a  mastery  of 
the  content  of  such  Etudes.  Note  in  the  eighth  line  the 
groups  of  two  slurred  notes.  These  may  be  played 
lightly  at  the  point,  also  at  the  middle  of  the  bow,  with  a 
free  wrist  stroke  combined  with  a  slight  movement  from 
the  shoulder,  a  form  of  bowing  often  used  in  orchestral 
works,  a  freer  style  than  that  at  the  point  of  the  bow. 
When  the  e'tude  is  mastered  technically,  I  often  teach  it 
with  the  spiccato  bowing  at  the  point  of  the  bow,  followed 
by  the  bowing  indicated  in  legato  passages.  When  cross- 
ing the  strings  hold  the  arm  high,  the  wrist  leading  in 
string-transfers.  The  practice  of  the  F  major  scale  in  the 
sixth  position  with  varied  bowings  is  recommended.  To 
keep  up  a  continuous  spiccato  is  not  desirable,  hence  the 
detached  bowing  in  the  upper  third  of  the  bow  is  not 
practical.  This  e'tude  is  one  of  the  most  difficult  and 


68  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

exacting  of  the  entire  book,  hence  the  necessity  of  frequent 
reviews.  If  possible,  analyze  the  content  of  the  work, 
calling  attention  to  the  structure  of  each  passage  and  the 
basis  of  arpeggios. 

No.  35. 

Adagio, 
sostenuto. 


There  are  so  many  double-stop  Etudes  of  more  practical 
value  than  this  one  that  it  is  wise  to  review  the  excellent 
double-stop  Etudes  of  Kreutzer,  Sitt1  and  Dont,2  although 
the  last  named  are  the  least  practical.  However,  if  one 
is  to  teach  Fiorillo,  one  must  use  this  e"tude.  A  few  rules 
may  be  useful : 

1.  Read  in  advance  of  the  measure  played. 

2.  Strive  for  a  pure  singing  tone. 

3.  Keep  the  theme  prominent,  the  accompaniment 

legato. 

4.  Use  a  broad  free  style  of  bowing. 

5.  The  fingers  must  fall  simultaneously  in  double 

stops. 

6.  Analyze  the  work  phrase  by  phrase. 

7.  Memorize  difficult  passages. 

1  Hans   Sitt,    Technical  Studies,   Op.   92,   Part   I,    Book  3.     Price, 
$1.00.     Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 

2  J.   Dont,  Twenty-four  Exercises,  Op.  37.     Price,  50  cents.     Pub- 
lished by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York. 


HOW   TO   STUDY    FIORILLO. 


69 


Do  not  draw  the  strings  from  side  to  side.  The 
fingers  must  fall  into  position  and  remain  fixed. 

If  the  pitch  is  not  at  once  secured,  do  not  slide  the 
fingers  up  and  down  as  if  in  search  for  the  exact 
tone.  Practice  the  passage  until  the  fingers 
fall  into  correct  places  at  once. 


MODERATO   ASSAI. 


Moderate  assai. 


Nothing  new  presents  itself  at  this  point  in  bowing. 
A  free  detached  forearm  stroke  instead  of  the  short  stac- 
cato is  desirable  until  the  technical  side  of  the  e"tude  is 
mastered.  I  generally  take  the  first  three  measures, 
contrasting  them,  then  memorizing  them.  I  also  refer 
to  certain  well-known  progressions  in  the  Schradieck 
arpeggios.  Very  few  students  after  a  week's  practice 
can  play  this  e"tude  without  mistakes  in  the  progressions. 
It  is,  therefore,  desirable  to  study  it  line  by  line.  The 
second  line  follows  the  same  progressions  as  the  first, 
though  we  begin  a  whole  tone  higher.  Sometimes  I 
oblige  my  students  to  write  down  each  line  from  memory, 
in  order  to  master  the  progressions  mentally. 

Again,  I  listen  to  related  measures  repeated  several 
times.  The  question  may  arise,  "  Should  the  teacher  first 
play  the  e"tude  to  the  pupil?"  The  teacher  should  ex- 
plain the  bowing  of  each  etude  assigned  for  the  next  lesson, 
but  should  not,  as  a  rule,  play  it.  The  student  should 
analyze  it  and  get  all  he  can  out  of  it  before  bringing  it 
to  the  teacher.  This  develops  the  power  of  reasoning 
and  concentration.  He  thus  learns  to  stand  alone. 


70  HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 

So  many  students  play  merely  by  imitation,  that  it  is  a 
question  in  modern  violin  study  whether  it  is  wise  for  the 
teacher  to  illustrate  too  much.  Teach  the  pupil  to  deduce 
conclusions  himself.  Hear  his  version,  then  show  him 
the  way.  Do  not  play  Etudes  too  much  with  him.  Play 
the  passage  alternately  with  him.  Do  not  play  a  con- 
certo to  a  student  before  he  has  practiced  it.  His  con- 
ception means  more  to  him  than  yours.  It  is  equally 
true  of  the  other  fine  arts.  No  great  painter  was  ever 
made  whose  pictures  were  sketched  for  him.  The  crea- 
tive and  analytical  instinct  must  precede  pure  imitation. 
I  recall  the  study  of  the  Bach  solo  "Sonatas."  In  Berlin 
we  studied  them  very  rigidly,  but  when  away  from  that 
atmosphere  we  played  them  with  freedom.  These  sug- 
gestions do  not  excuse  the  teacher  from  frequently 
illustrating.  A  teacher  who  sits  and  listens  to  violin 
students  all  day  because  he  is  too  indifferent  to  play, 
cannot  guide  well.  Again,  the  teacher  should  be  able 
to  give  a  perfect  example  of  a  style  of  bowing  or  phrasing. 
Teachers  who  play  no  more  are  not  wise  educators. 

As  far  as  intonation  is  concerned,  this  e"tude  is  one 
of  the  most  difficult  of  all,  yet  it  is  very  useful  from  the 
standpoint  of  modulation.  The  last  three  lines  require 
a  free  wrist  stroke  (legato)  at  the  point  of  the  bow.  As 
more  than  two  strings  are  included,  the  stroke  is  an  arm 
and  wrist  one.  The  elbow  must  move  out  in  the  same 
plane  as  the  forearm  and  wrist.  Absolute  freedom  of 
all  parts  of  the  arm  is  necessary. 


Arpeggio. 


No.  36. 


HOW   TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


3T 


-*•  -a- 


4 — L- 


DlFFERENT  ARPEGGIOS  FOR  PLAYING  THE  PRECEDING 
CHORDS. 


M. 


"  T 


Sp. 


1— 1-*-3=*=^ 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


Sp. 


M. 


4  -^-^  i  -— •*/' 


Upper  third. 


M. 


12 


13 


Upper  third. 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


73 


Before  beginning  this  6tude,  review  the  chord  studies 
of  Sitt  i  and  Kreutzer,  using  with  the  first  Sitt  study  the 
following  bowings: 


1.  Whole  bow. 

2.  Lower  half. 

3.  Two  notes  to  a  bow,  middle,  point  and  heel. 
4- 


Four  notes  to  a  bow. 


I  prefer  this  study  to  the  Sevcik  4,000  Bowings,  Section 
V.  I  would,  however,  use  the  Sevcik  studies  for  securing 
a  flexible  wrist  stroke. 

Also  use  Schradieck's  Technical  Violin  School,  Books 
II  and  III.2  I  make  some  changes  in  the  chords  of  this 
etude,  as  follows: 


2)  16th  and  17th  measures 


1  Hans  Sitt,  Technical  Studies,   Op.  92.     Part  I,  Book  3,   Double 
Stopping.     Published  by  Carl  Fischer,  New  York.      Price,  $1.00. 

2  Technical    Violin   School,  by    Henry  Schradieck.     Part   II,  Exer- 
cises in  Double  Stopping.     Price,  40  cents.     Part  III,  Exercises  in  the 
Different  Modes  of  Bowing.    Price,  50  cents.    Published  by  Carl  Fischer, 
New  York. 


74 


HOW  TO   STUDY   FIORILLO. 


Use  also  the  following  bowing: 

Single  detached  chords  down  bow,  lower  half. 


The  wrist  must  be  very  flexible.  The  whole  arm  is 
used.  Play  the  three  notes  simultaneously.  Play  also 
thus,  whole  bow: 


We  now  come  to  the  pure  legato  at  the  point,  middle, 
and  heel  of  the  bow. 

Two  notes  tied,  four  and  eight.  Vary  this  by  playing 
the  first  two  notes  legato,  the  second  two  staccato  at  the 
point  of  the  bow;  the  first  two  legato,  lower  half,  the 
second  two  flying  staccato. 

We  will  now  turn  to  two  styles  of  legato  bowing :  eight 
notes  to  a  bow;  two  tied  notes  followed  by  six  tied.  Use 
the  whole  bow,  also  upper  and  lower  half.  The  next 
bowing  is  two  tied  followed  by  the  short  staccato  at  the 
point  of  the  bow.  Then  use  two  tied,  two  cut,  at  the 
middle  or  point  of  the  bow.  Apply  the  principles  of 
Sevcik,  4,000  Bowings,  Sections  III,  IV,  and  V. 

I  would  introduce  a  style  of  bowing  very  much  used 
in  solo  and  orchestral  work:  a  running  legato  at  the  point 
in  triplets.  Same  at  the  middle  of  the  bow.  Same  at 
the  heel.  Three  tied  legato,  followed  by  three  flying 
staccato,  lower  half  of  bow.  Three  down-stroke  middle, 
spiccato,  three  up-stroke. 

These  are  all  the  practical  bowings  I  use,  but  notes 
played  h.  one  bow,  at  the  point,  are  useful. 


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